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George A. Sherman
"George Anthony Sherman of Silver Cliff Ranch died last Thursday
afternoon, Sept. 27, 2001. He was 65." So began his obituary in the "Wet
Mountain Tribune," a Rocky Mountain rural weekly.
Silver Cliff, approximately 75 miles southwest of Colorado Springs, was
George's Shangri-La. He moved there with his family four years ago from
the Washington, D.C suburbs (Maryland side). Thanks to the internet,
phones, and fax, he never missed a beat publishing his LTCI industry
newsletter and alerts.
Steve Moses talked to George on the day he died. As they concluded the
call, he said he was going out to ride his mountain bike. Passers-by
found his body beside the bike in a ditch along a mountain road. Sherm
evidently fell and broke a rib, which punctured his one remaining lung.
Although never a smoker, he lost the other lung to cancer many years ago.
An autopsy concluded that the cause of death was "blunt force" incidental
to the fall from the bicycle.
George was born May 11, 1936 in Long Beach, California. He attended St.
John's Seminary in California, the Immaculate Heart College in Los
Angeles, Temple University in Philadelphia and George Washington
University in Washington, DC, where he received a Ph.D. in History.
After leaving the priesthood, George's work history took him from the
Pennsylvania Department of Aging to the National Center for Black Aging,
and on to the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, LTC
Incorporated, GE's Long-Term Care Insurance Division, the Larson Long-Term
Care Group and finally to the Corporation for Long-Term Care
Certification. For the past 11 years, he was the editor of LTC News and
Comment, a highly respected LTCI industry newsletter. Most people
especially loved his "LTC E-Alerts," frequent nuggets of news and analysis
covering every ripple and wave in the business of long-term care.
According to the "Tribune" article: "During his time here, he served on
the board of directors of the Custer County Hospital District which
oversees the community clinic. He also was a popular guest chef at the
Morgan's Restaurant in Westcliffe. Additionally, he was an avid bicyclist
and listener of classical music."
On Sunday evening, October 7, friends and relatives gathered for a
"celebration of George's life" at Morgan's Restaurant in Westcliffe, Co.
Five of George's former colleagues attended. Over a hundred of his new
Colorado friends came to share their "Sherm stories" and to reminisce.
You get a good flavor of what those stories were like by reading the ones
that follow below.
George is survived by his wife, Helen (married January 1, 1968) and his
daughter, Laurel, a student at the University of Southern Colorado,
Pueblo. Their address is: 297 Excelsior Rd., Silver Cliff, CO, 81252.
Anyone wishing to make a memorial contribution may send it to the Custer
County Community Clinic, P.O. Box 120 in Westcliffe, CO, 81252.
Tributes to Dr. George
Sherman from
His Colleagues and
Friends in the Long-Term Care Profession
Phyllis Shelton:
"Sherm
here."
The cryptic introduction of Dr. George Sherman's presence on the other
side of the phone wire. At first I thought him unfriendly. I grew to
learn that he just didn't believe in wasting time. He only called if he
had something relevant to say concerning our small world of long-term care
insurance. He didn't linger in the conversation after the message had
been delivered. Occasionally I found myself staring into an empty
telephone after an abrupt farewell.
In typical Sherm fashion, he made an abrupt exit at 1:30 Mountain Time on
September 27th… .
Over the past several years, we traded (short) comments back and forth
concerning his newsletter, LTC News & Comment, which I advocate to
anyone serious about LTC insurance as a "must-have" for the main source of
ongoing information about LTCI. Mutual respect for each other grew as I
asked questions, challenged thoughts and added an occasional article.
Gradually our conversations lengthened as we began to understand each
other.
On one occasion, I drove almost four hours from a training class I had in
Greeley, Colorado to visit him in … Silver
Cliff, Colorado
at his insistence. Upon arrival, I saw why the invitation had been so
constant. His unique adobe house, self-designed and built, is nestled in
the foothills an hour and a half southwest of Colorado Springs and is
surrounded by an almost ethereal beauty, which he managed to capture in an
amazing fashion, through the lens of his camera. His genius for
composition in photography peeked out of several store windows in the form
of cards for sale in the tiny town nearby.
My rapt appreciation for his photography has since resulted in a "George
Sherman gallery" in my office of eight double-matted and framed landscapes
and one great elk.
I'm telling you all this to show you there were many layers underneath
what many only knew as the most proliferous mouthpiece of almost daily
news on LTC insurance in the form of "LTC-Alerts" that flooded our email
boxes. His heart for his job was so dedicated to be sure we didn't miss
anything at all, but that was only one part of the wonderful human being
that was George Sherman. Opinionated? Yes. Smart? He had a Ph.D. and
that vocabulary! Loyal? No one could touch him on this. Caring? The
part hardest to see over the internet, and the part I am expressing to you
now. He cared deeply for our industry, his wife Helen and 24-year-old
daughter, Laurel, his beautiful surroundings, but mostly, he cared for
life. And life will miss him.
Patty Ash: I will miss seeing George's classic signature, "Tanks."
Caren Litt: For years I subscribed to
George's newsletter and know of his brilliance. …
The industry has lost
a warrior.
Dave Donchey, CLU, Director, LTCI Sales, Leisure Werden & Terry: What a
great guy.... He was…smart and incisive.
Howard S. Drescher, APR, Public Relations Director, LIMRA International:
I only came to know George recently, and that only by phone and email. I
had invited him to attend the LIMRA Long-Term Care conference in Chicago
and we had a couple of delightful phone conversations. We were very much
looking forward to meeting but our conference was postponed. I'm very
sorry that I will not have that chance now.
Ann Davis, Reporter, Wall Street Journal: I'm very sorry to hear this.
Doug Ullrich, Arizona Department of Insurance: I've been reading LTC
News and Comment for several years now and thought it was an excellent
publication. I talked to Dr. Sherman a couple of years ago when I called
him to ask for permission to photocopy an article from the newsletter when
I was making a presentation about LTC insurance to a LTC task force at the
Arizona Legislature. In August, I met George at the Private LTC Insurance
Conference in Miami. I searched him out when I saw the booth and his
colleagues told me to look for the "skinny guy with the hat, t-shirt,
shorts and hiking boots." When I met him my first thought was "THIS is
Dr. George Sherman, the guy with the Ph.D.?" Later, he and I happened to
cross paths at the jacuzzi. We had quite a nice chat about our common
interests in the mountains of Colorado and the deserts of Arizona. I
found it fascinating that he could live on the side of a mountain ("in the
middle of nowhere" as he put it), in Colorado and still be completely
up-to-date on the latest news around the country. George was the ultimate
"telecommuter!" Your description of his "unusual, often penetrating,
sometimes off-the-wall question or comment" is right on the money. George
is someone who truly understood the issues of LTC and didn't mind sharing
his opinion, even if it might offend someone. In fact, perhaps he tried
to offend at times, just to get people to think about his point of view on
an issue or subject. The industry has lost a friend. I too, will miss
him.
Eric Jackson, Senior Agent, GE Financial Assurance: Well, you found the
perfect word [scrapper]. I remember George fondly and I know how much he
has done for Long Term Care. I have followed his bullets from the
beginning and was even asked to write one or two short articles regarding
Alabama LTC over the years.
Jim Hostetler, Executive Editor, Health Insurance Underwriter
magazine, National Association of Health Underwriters: Several weeks ago
[George] agreed to contribute a by-lined article to our association's
magazine. I was going to follow-up next week to request a year-in-review
theme for our December issue. … He will be missed. Very few had a firm
handle on both the details and the "big picture" as he.
David N. Kane, GE Financial Assurance: …A straight shooter if there ever
was one…. Yeah, the memories of him standing up at some meeting at a mike
and asking the question to the (unsuspecting) speaker, perhaps a
government spokesperson, with the thinly veiled tag line barely left
unspoken (...you fool...).
Norm Kono, AEGON USA: I had just e-mailed Sherm yesterday to thank him
for sending me an abstract the day before that he thought I'd be
interested in. … Who's going to make me look and sound like an LTC
expert now that the doctor is gone?
Linda Koco, Senior Editor, National Underwriter Life & Health/Financial
Services: I met George only once, but was immediately struck by his
enthusiasm, warmth, broad LTC knowledge, and eagerness to continue
promoting the LTC story. He was all smiles and laughter, his head nodding
up and down and sparks twinkling in his eyes. We chatted for quite a
while, as he told me of his newsletter and his more recent activities--and
also of what he was planning for and hoping for in the future. It is hard
to imagine the LTC industry without this bright light and advocate. He
will be sorely missed.
Lane Kent, New York Life: I did not know George personally but know his
work. He will be missed.
Marilyn Mulhall, LUTCF, Northwestern Mutual Financial Network: While I
did not know Dr. Sherman, I was extremely impressed by his knowledge and
grasp of the LTC issue and marketplace. I hope someone will endeavor to
fill the void his passing has left. We really needed him.
Mary Beth Franklin, Editor, Kiplinger's: I spoke to George many times
over the years. He was always insightful and articulate. He will be
missed….
Mary Liden : George was such a great resource, and did so much to elevate
the level of awareness regarding Long Term Care issues in Washington. He
will be missed.
Nancy Allegrini: George and I exchanged brief personal email from time to
time. I enjoyed his comments and what he wrote. He had a great dry sense
of humor.
Pam Doty, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation,
DHHS: I liked George very much. It's been quite a long time since I had
any face to face interaction with him, but we did exchange emails about
assisted living just within the past few months. I don't know that I have
any funny stories to share, but you can certainly count me as one of the
people who will miss him.
Peter M. LanFranca: I met George in Chicago at the HIAA convention. I
liked him immediately and have been an admirer of his over the years. He
had a sense of kindness about him and was truly an advocate of "Long Term
Care." I will miss his good work and gentle smile!
Sam Kaplan: Sherm and I talked and argued 3 or 4 times a month…. We've
all lost a really good one.
Scott Parkin: A few weeks ago at the Private Long Term Care Insurance
Conference in Miami, I caught up with George in the exhibit hall. We
spoke about Colorado and what it was like living miles from nowhere and
how he managed to stay informed (it was the internet). He regaled me with
descriptions of the clear, mountain air and how he could always see stars
from his home in the mountains. I always envied him the ability to live
miles from nowhere and still be a presence in our field. He will be
missed.
Marilyn Serafini, Reporter, National Journal: Even though I
haven't spoken to him in several years, I never forget the handful of
people who patiently take the time to educate me on a good cause along the
way. George was one of those people. He always took the time to help.
Indeed, it's people like George who remind me to patiently help others.
Spencer Lehmann, Lehmann Woods: I did know George, liked and respected
him. He was a gentleman and published a well-written and fairly balanced
newsletter. … George touched a lot of people, most particularly with his
sense of humor, and his sense of "fair play." I will always remember him
fondly.
Joshua Wiener, The Urban Institute: George and I rarely agreed on things,
but he was always fun and interested in getting to the bottom of an
issue. He never viewed me as the enemy. I am shocked and saddened by his
untimely death.
Bill Comfort: I've read much of what "Shem" has written in the last
couple of years and am a better LTC professional for it. I'm sorry I
never met him personally, but understand what a great advocate we have
lost.
Judy Lococo, CLU: Although I never had the privilege of meeting him, I
found LTC News & Comment an extremely important resource and was a
subscriber from the early 1990s. The newsletter and his email alerts have
provided me with a sense of comfort that nothing important concerning LTC
was going to sneak up behind me. I have appreciated his courage in
confronting the questionable tactics of advisors working for the "quick
MediCal" answers.
Honey Leveen, LUTCF, CLTC: I never met Sherm but he & I had an email
friendship established through our common interests and contacts in the
LTCI industry. I was first exposed to him through LTC News & Comment.
I always felt I knew him personally. He was so astute and really had a
brilliant mind. I nearly always agreed with his "take" on things and I
will not forget the tremendous enrichment and professional insight he gave
me.
Matt Sherman, Master Long Term Care Specialist, GE Capital Assurance: I
have been invigorated on many occasions by Mr. Sherman's compassion to the
L.T.C. world. He was full of knowledge and was only too quick and eager
to share it with any one with an open ear and willing to listen. He had
more energy in his little finger than most of us had in our whole body.
Martin K. Bayne: The last time I saw Sherm, he was sitting in my living
room in a green Queen Anne's chair, and we were talking about the history
of Roman Catholicism in the fourth century. During the conversation, I
would occasionally watch him talk, and I would realize again what a
special person he was, and often how much he reminded me of myself. That
was a year ago.
Then we fast forward to the now infamous ADL Digest letter of September
12, 2001. George made it clear in an email he sent after reading the
letter that he was not at all happy with my editorial conclusions. And I
wrote back accusing him of behaving in his usual irascible, pig-headed,
and stubborn fashion. The emails had done their damage, and for the next
two weeks, there was an awkward silence between two men who had been
friends for ten years.
Therefore, I was overjoyed to receive an email from George referencing an
article in the New England Journal of Medicine on Parkinson's Disease.
This was the peace pipe, and I grabbed at it with both hands. Within
minutes we traded four emails. Our friendship was back on track, and
everything felt right with the world once again. The next day George
died.
George Sherman was a man who had undergone religious training to become a
priest, devoted a good deal of his professional career to long term-care,
and could often be found tilting at windmills. Just like me.
I
have lost more than a friend. I have lost part of myself.
Wilma G. Anderson, The LTC Coach: What a loss to all of us. George was
at LTC, Inc. in Kirkland, Washington when I was a brand new Agent. [HE]
contributed so continuously to LTC and ethics. I'm proud to have known
him.
John C. Huismann: Personally, I'll never forget my introduction to
George which was a session at a GE national sales meeting entitled "LTC IN
YOUR FACE." At first, I couldn't help but wonder what kind of a lunatic I
was listening to. Clearly, he was one passionate human being who was a
strong voice for the industry. We will all miss him.
Gene Cutler: I've known George for 6 years, since meeting him at a Long
Term Care conference in 1995. Right away it was obvious that George had
his own unique perspective on matters as they are and well-targeted
insights as to how they could be. George was truly an expert in our
field, and I've turned to him on more than a few occasions for help and
advice. He was always there. We'll all miss him.
Alan Kifer, CFP: This is a loss for us all (who are dedicated to the LTC
cause).
Carol Murin, Senior Long Term Care Specialist, GE Financial Assurance:
Our industry has lost a great leader.
Jack A. Smelser, Senior National Alliance Specialist, GE Financial
Assurance, Long Term Care Division: When I think of George, I immediately
see that twinkle in his eye and always with a grin...it always made me
think what kind of mischief was he up to! In 1996, George helped me
clearly understand the workings of Washington, DC and how the focus is
truly on power as opposed the welfare of the consumer. He was forever
optimistic and saw the positives of a bad situation knowing that with the
right approach problems can be turned into benefits. Thank you, George,
for allowing so many of us look at life through your glasses and see that
the music is always playing.
Barbara Franklin, Franklin & Associates, Inc.: I had been very impressed
with a recent article George wrote in LTC News and Comment called
"The Future of the LTC Career Agent: Is There One?" I thought it was
very insightful and thought-provoking. When I sent the article along to
various friends I pointed out that there were very few (if any) people in
our industry that had George's vantage point and who could write such an
article. He will surely be missed.
John Quigley, AUL: George will be missed. I don't have a specific
story. I first met George back in the late 80's when I was with Aetna.
My recollection is that he was doing some work for us on a consulting
basis, and I met him at an Aetna agent meeting in Pittsburgh. He had a
lot of statistics on the aging problem at a time when not too many people
were thinking about this issue. I remember him for his intelligence, his
penetrating demeanor, he had a nice way about him, kind of intense, but
like a dish of vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce, i.e., he was highly
desirable for all that he knew about demographics but really a sweet man,
and it seemed to me, a good, warm heart. I remember him most of all for
his passion on this topic of long term care, that he loved so much. And
how he always seemed to ask the questions that the rest of us were afraid
to ask. I did not know him well, and it sounds like you did, so I think
that you are a lucky person to have known George, a person who is one of
that small number of pioneers in our industry. He was a good and decent
man who seemed to wear his thoughts and passions on his sleeve. And we
are all better because we knew him.
Eileen Tell: Thanks for a lovely tribute to a dedicated LTC'er. He will
be missed. His humor and his voice helped shape the industry and give us
all a reminder to question beyond the obvious.
Bob Glowacki: I called George on Thursday morning fairly early. I
enjoyed calling him early telling him to wake up and get to work. As you
might guess George was always up when I called. Sherman and I talked at
least once a week, sometimes twice and in a really good week we might have
had the chance to talk three times. On Thursday when I called, George was
in terrific spirits and form. He was making breakfast and told me about 4
deer that where in his 'front yard.' Two of the bucks had been sparring
with each other - a reaaaalllly cool sight, he said. Sherman enjoyed
telling me about the deer and elk that he saw and I enjoyed hearing his
stories. I am fortunate enough to have several pictures that George took
of elk that crossed the road by his house. I will treasure those pictures
forever and ever. We talked about long term care financing, the tragedy
in New York. I teased George about being a 'cub reporter' when he brought
up an article that he was doing for the next issue of LTC News &
Comment. Finally, I asked George to do some research for me - he was
the guy that had all of the information, wasn't he? He said that he would
get to it - just as soon as he got back from his bike ride. He was in
great spirits. We traded a few 'manly' jokes and I can still hear his
laugh. My life would not have been complete without knowing him. My
spirit is saddened by realizing that memories are all that I will now ever
have of him. I will miss my friend George.
Martha Hamilton: I remember George well. Who could ever forget George?
I met him when I started at AMEX Life in 1991. He was unique and talented
and a world of knowledge. Everyone will miss him and his concern and
astute writing about Long Term Care.
Gayle Doughton: I have known George since he was at the National
Association of Area Agencies on Aging in Washington, DC where we cut our
teeth when we were in our thirties in the aging service network. I have
witnessed the many hats he has worn, and in recent years grew to count on
his advice about the comings and goings in the long term care insurance
industry. Among some of his greatest gifts, was his photographic eye.
George shared many of his gorgeous photographs with me of the land he had
grown to love and adore, and made many of us long for his respite
surroundings. … We will all miss him.
Yung-Ping "Bing" Chen: Quite a few years George solicited an article on
my LTC funding model after he had read an article of mine. Then several
years later, he noticed me after I made a comment at a Brookings
Institution conference on long-term care, so I got to met him. I am sorry
long-term care lost such a friend in George.
W. June Simmons: We all appreciated his work…the great newsletter.
Dominic Mogavero, Long Term Care Specialist, New England Financial Group:
Sherm had become a good friend over the past few years, and I had always
been on the receiving end of his photography. He had several enlarged for
me, and matted; they hang in my office, and a couple at home. He always
joked about money, and yup, he charged me full boat for the enlargements
!!! The pictures are signed, and I'm glad I have them. Take care in
these uncertain times….
Brian Ellsworth, American Hospital Association: I met George over the
phone many years ago and found him to be friendly, an incisive analyst and
a person committed to excellence in his job. A true loss for long term
care.
Tony Longo:. I, unfortunately, only had the opportunity to speak to George
a dozen or so times in the last 5 years. Even so, I'll miss him. One of
the many things George will probably be remembered by is his shyness and
his inability to get excited about things. (That was a poor attempt at
humor.)
Joyce Ruddock: I admired George's passion, intelligence and courage. We
could always count on him to challenge our thinking, to say what needed to
be said, and to inspire a new vision. I will miss him. Our industry has
lost an important voice.
Rick Kalina: George always had tremendous insight and his true gift to us
all was his economy of language and his ability to articulate his
opinions. I had many wonderful conversations with George. He had a lot
to teach. I will miss his insightful articles and interviews.
Don Durr, CLTC, Beaumont, TX: George was a man who was not only
passionate about LTC but was also a passionate photographer as well. Who
among those who knew him has not enjoyed the beauty of his awesome
landscape photography. I remember being with him approximately two years
ago in an LTC meeting in Dallas, TX. He addressed the attendees starting
out warm and informative. The longer his address continued the more
intense and deliberate he became until the talk began to crescendo into a
fevered passionate exhilarating climax with the audience chanting in
rhythm to Dr. Sherman's pronouncements. The memorable occasion ended in
the hearers unanimously rising to their feet to give Dr. Sherman a
thunderous standing ovation. This man believed in what he did and brought
out the best in all those who had the opportunity be in his company or
within his wide-reaching information network. I will greatly miss him.
Kathleen Hamby: I had the pleasure of George's company briefly at lunch
[at the LTCI conference in Miami]. I did enjoy it. I had spoken with him
for about 45 minutes the previous day and was so impressed with his
dedication and passion. I was glad he was an advocate for long term
care. Maybe I didn't agree with all his opinions but was so pleased that
he could voice them.
Tara Johnson: George was an unexpected light for me during a scary and
yet exciting time. I moved to California to open a new office 9 years
ago. Solely on commission for the first time in my life, a husband in
school and 3 year old in tow, while exciting I had a tad bit of anxiety.
Out of the blue, George called me to check in and see how I was doing. I
had met him several times in the Seattle office and found his points of
view refreshing and forward thinking. Given that these moments were short
I was overwhelmed that he called to see how we were! The bad news: his
first call was a bad day for me. It was during my first weeks of having a
sales team and we were having a bad week. The
good news: He talked
about how he "knew" I would be successful the first time he met me. That
I had what it would take and he was watching my numbers week to week and
was proud of me. He also said to get back to work and quit whining! It
was unbelievably timely and kicked me back into gear. He called a few
more times that year and during his last call he talked about how he could
mark me off his list of needing support! I had arrived! George Sherman
was a leader, a visionary and we are in a more successful place because of
him.
Carolyn Kates: I knew George Sherman through his incredibly insightful
commentary and updates on the LTCI industry. When I entered the LTCI
industry from a completely different profession, George seemed to make
sense of the differing opinions and facts, which I encountered through my
initial training and reading, concerning the need for long term care
protection. He also illustrated the flaws in the current long-term care
financing system and gave down-to-earth suggestions on how it could be
changed. I will miss his intellect, his vision and his kindness. I only
spoke to him twice but knew that he was far beyond the sales rhetoric,
which I was constantly being bombarded with and showed me that there was a
place in the LTCI industry for someone who was used to being
compassionate, understanding and insightful. I will miss him, his words
and his unique way of clearing out the dust and getting to the real
issues!
Kent Wise: I always thought of George as a man with unbridled
enthusiasm. George had a uniqueness about him I find hard to put into
words, only to say that his zest for life was always present. One meets
very few like him in a lifetime. He will be missed.
Dennis S. Rompala, CLU, CLTC: I began an email relationship with Sherm
last February. In one of my many inquiries to him for LTC "nuggets" or
further clarification on this or that, as a CLTC graduate, he asked where
I lived one day. Since then we had corresponded regarding photo-flower
shooting trips in the mountains, camping and fishing trips, etc. He
started it with a photo he took of the mountains near his place in
Colorado, and we just carried on from there. From my limited contacts
with him, he seemed to be a truly "nice" man and was one of my main
"lifeblood" sources for LTC info and trends. As I write this I still
can't believe he won't be sending me anymore photos or messages.
Neville Verster, C.L.T.C.: George was passionate about his work in the
LTC industry, and he was a real contributor to many of us. His News &
Comments were way ahead of anything at the time, and he was a true No-Spin
guy. He was someone who really understood the sales agent, and the issues
that are important to us. I will miss my conversations with him.
Sally H. Leimbach, CLU, CEBS, LTC Insurance Specialists, LLC: When I
started my specialization in LTCI almost 10 years ago, the only credible
consistent information came from George Sherman through LTC News and
Comment. I waited anxiously each month for the postman to deliver my
issue, dropped everything and retired to a quiet corner to absorb the
newest and best information like a sponge wishing for more water. Over
the years, George's newsletter has remained my favorite for "keeping up"
and now he will be sorely missed. Several years ago, George asked me to
contribute an article about the status of the group LTCI marketplace,
which I did. Several months ago he asked me to do an update. I delayed,
hoping to install one or two more groups to be sure I "had it right." I
was looking forward to sharing back with George that which he surely
contributed to me, my ability to strive to be a worthy professional in the
LTCI marketplace. I was among the lucky who knew George. I now wish it
could have been for a longer period of time.
Alan Levine: Unfortunately, I never knew Sherm very well, so I don't have
any stories to contribute...however I sat next to him at a couple of
functions and spoke to him several times on the telephone. I do know that
he really knew this business! I always marveled that he said whatever he
wanted whenever he wanted. I often just shook my head, but I also often
said to myself: "I wish I had the nerve to say that." I'll certainly
miss George - a man with a tough exterior, but real caring and sensitive
inside.
Barbara Hanson: My favorite memory of Sherm was at a conference in Hawaii
in 1997, when he and a group of guys donned sunglasses and did a spirited
rendition of "Men in Black," complete with attitude and snapping fingers.
Whatever Sherm did was with a wonderful sense of abandon or sharp
attention to detail, whichever was appropriate. He emailed me fotos of
his dream home in the mountains. I know he loved it there. I am so glad
he got to live where he wanted and was able to help the cause of LTC so
admirably. We loved that guy and we'll miss him a lot. He was a bright
light.
Chris Kramer-Harnage, HMG, Inc.: Sherm truly was on the forefront of the
pulse of LTCI.
Cady Erickson: George was so enjoying his new home and surroundings and
it seems so unfair he didn't have decades more to spend there. We have
lost such a diligent and tireless advocate for our cause, as well.
Rachel Faiga: I really appreciated all the newsletters.
Matt Hamann: Without knowing George well...his passion for long term care
was obvious. His efforts to positively promote LTC awareness and
responsibility were second to none. Many who never knew his name have
experienced a loss they will never understand. Those of us that had a
glimpse of the man, will be grateful for the impact he had while with us.
Bob Callanan: I had several "intellectually stimulating" discourses with
"Father George" ... both of us sharing our "Catholic Seminary" years,
etc., and even more drill-down, shoot-out discussions on LTC matters,
particularly regarding the Military and LTC. I enjoyed working with
George. When he moved to Colorado he sent a dozen photos of his "new"
home: home was truly unique and the view spectacular!! One never knows!
Still, this IS the FIRST DAY of the Rest of OUR Lives! |
