Following the memorial program last week, I had some further thoughts about John. First, I want to say that, while I was not a regular player in the basketball game he played in every week, I did play a couple of times a few years ago. I remember that he was a very formidable opponent, certainly not "acting his age." About a week before he died, he and I were walking from the gym to the parking lot, and we were talking about how lucky we were to be in such good shape, feeling so young. How sadly ironic.
I recently had to write a proposal for a workshop for a client organization. As I made an outline of the workshop I was proposing, I realized how what I was doing was a direct reflection of what John had taught me in the Adult Learning and Training course. He always advocated considering the "so what?" question the participants would ask - why are we doing this activity, what does it have to offer us?
Also, when I supervise clinical students, and they ask if they should do something, I always remind them that there are no hard and fast rules, but that they have to be "intentional individuals," which was a phrase that John used to describe therapists in the Observation and Interviewing Course. You have to think about what you are doing and why, and act intentionally. This advice transcends theoretical orientation, and is so helpful to me as well as my supervisees.
Date:
1-31-2008 12:07 PM
Name:
Stephen Ferretti
Location:
Montclair, NJ
Message:
Dear Matt and family,
It is with extreme sadness that saw in the local paper the passing of Mr. Kalafat. Matt Kalafat and I graduated from Montclair High School together in 1987. I had only met Mr. Kalafat once, but it is obvious that Matt embodied all of the great things that everyone here is recognizing in his father. Matt, our heartfelt condolences go out to you and your family.
Sincerely,
Steve and Cristina Ferretti
Date:
1-30-2008 10:41 PM
Name:
Robert Nathans
Location:
North Caldwell, NJ
Message:
I came to know John over the last 20 years as my brother-in-law, my sister Anne's husband. John became a fixture at holidays, at family gatherings, at my wedding nearly 15 years ago, at my father's funeral over two years ago. I am sure that I became just such a fixture in John's life.
My greatest insight into this man came during a brief car ride in October of 2006. John, with his son Jim, helped Anne and I move our office back to Montclair from Verona. John drove me back after returning the rental truck. In that 30 minute drive we talked and shared in a way that I had never experienced. I felt his humanity, sensed his weaknesses, and witnessed his strengths more than in all the time prior.
I think about John most days. I see him reflected in my sister's eyes and feel but am unable to share her special hurt. So too for Matt and Thi, and Jim--their loss and their pain can't really be shared--only softened a little bit. And I think about John's grandchildren, Luke and Lily, and how much 'grandfathering' they will miss.
I miss him.
Date:
1-30-2008 03:48 PM
Name:
Thi Nguyen
Location:
Scotch Plains NJ
Message:
Thank you, everyone for sharing your wonderful memories. Dad was THE Dad, the one they made the #1 Dad mug & tee shirts for, the Dad you could call anytime of night and he was ready to listen. He was always game, always interested and always cared. Matt and I moved in with Dad and Anne while we looked to buy a home in Jersey and those were the best times. We stayed up late, wrestled over the remote, cooked together, had late night runs to Krausers for snacks since he never kept any in the house, and talked about everything. We miss him beyond words. He would make his own wrapping paper for the kids' gifts, colored in a dancing #1 for Luke's first birthday, crayoned a bunch of dinosaurs for Matt and me while waiting for our food at restaurants and always painted the trim in our house, that was always his department. He made everything OK, he was our balance, our best audience and I miss seeing his guilty look when I'd catch him eating ice cream directly from the container at our house. He would giggle, giggle at everything Matt and Jim did or said, and put his hand over his heart and bend over laughing which would set off a chain reaction. The boys would do puns, back and forth and it was absurd. Absurdly precious. We have a floor lamp which I bought for $1 since the switch doesn't work because it was a floor model, so when I bragged about my bargain to Dad, he said of course it's a floor model, you have to get on the floor to turn it on. we miss that. we miss everything about him. I miss his singing, his deep warm voice, like a campfire--I miss him running around the park with my son--"Lukey Wookey" and picking up our baby girl, "Boo Boo Head"
Mostly, I feel lucky to have married into such an amazing man's family.
Date:
1-30-2008 02:59 PM
Name:
bob meyers
Location:
friend
Message:
Friendship, a term used to denote co-operative and supportive behavior between two humans
Dear John;
Many of you here knew John in terms of his professional accomplishments, I knew John as his friend.
Professionally John was passionate about his life’s mission to enhance Crisis Intervention services and to educate in the prevention and reduction of Suicide
John saved countless hundreds, if not thousands of lives through his teaching, consulting and research into the causes and prevention of Suicide, especially of teenagers
John’s professional legacy will continue through his teaching and consultation done nationally and abroad!
John and I were just closely bonded friends for more than 30 years
We met through Bruce Miller a mutual friend who thought we would have many things in common, well, we sure did
Both single at that time with 2 children each of the same age and a great interest in competitive sports
We played racquet ball, tennis, basketball, football and even tried skiing several times
In 1981, I moved in with John and the boys, Matt and Jim, as they were a constant presence in his life
Each morning when the newspaper arrived, John grabbed the sports section, really the only section I do not read, and the only section John did read, and it was a perfect match!
Unfortunately only my fondest and cherished memories will have to suffice although I was looking forward to another 20 plus years of friendship and fun filled activities:
We plan and God laughs!
Some of these memories are:
The Sunday evening Chicken dinners, I did not know a man in those days that cooked, John Matt, Jim and I sat down as a family
Touch football and baseball games with so many adults and all the kids!
Many laughs, and our silly conversations, enhanced by a bottle of wine: many of them sharing repeated stories from the past 30 years
2 of these standout when we shared the Bloomfield house
The Paint job at the Bloomfield House;
John, do you know how to paint, I said? “Well of course I do he responded, I have done this so many times!”
Then why is your right foot standing right smack in the middle of the full paint tray, we then both howled
Toilet fix;
Again living in the Bloomfield house, the toilet lever had become disconnected. We looked at each other and said look, we have 1 PHD and 1 Hospital Executive, we can fix this!
We went to Rickles and purchased a toilet repair kit. The only problem was that neither one of us would venture into putting our hands in the clean water in the back part of the tank! , we called a plumber!
Years later at about the same time, John and Ann were married as were Pat and myself. Our relationship continued as intently and warmly this time also embracing our partners into the fold
John’s intellect, compassion, and humour, I will miss and I already miss these past 3 months, but I will still have and cherish the memories of our friendship for all these many years
Friends welcome each other's company. Always A gleeful greeting of “Big Bob” and then a mutual hug, was my greeting by John as we exhibited loyalty and caring towards each other.
I like everyone else already miss my dearest friend, John
Bob Meyers, a best friend
Date:
1-25-2008 11:18 AM
Name:
Bill Glovin
Location:
Rutgers Magazine
Message:
I played with John over several years in a faculty-staff hoops game at Rutgers. With his big knee brace, John wasn't the swiftest player on the court, or someone who could jump over you for a rebound, but there was no one more dedicated to the game or who loved it more. John rarely missed a session, ands he never complained about playing on a regulation full court at the Livingston Gym, as opposed to the smaller court at Werblin. John was someone you did not want to leave open from 10 to 18 feet. He would bend his knees slightly and release the ball from almost over his head. The main thing was that the ball almost always went through the net. If his team lost and you had to shoot foul shots to play the next game, you didn't want to go up against John from the foul line. He probably was an 80 percent foul shooter.
John played with us the day before he died. We were shocked and saddened to hear of his passing. He is missed by all of us.
Date:
1-22-2008 03:41 PM
Name:
Karen Prager
Location:
Dallas, Texas
Message:
I haven't seen John in many years but I have very fond memories of his wonderful sense of humor, his athleticism, his love of psychology, and his warmth. I'm so glad to see that Rutgers is honoring his memory. He deserves the best.
Date:
1-14-2008 03:01 PM
Name:
Jason Spiegelman
Location:
Baltimore, MD
Message:
After reading the touching tributes to John on this memorial site, I am pboth leased and sad to realize that I can say nothing more about this deeply exceptional person than has already been said. I value my memories of time spent together, and extend my deepest condolences to his family. This was a life lost far too soon.
Date:
1-02-2008 07:15 PM
Name:
Luis A. Guerreiro, Psy.D.
Location:
Newark, New Jersey
Message:
It is always sad when a good person leaves us. My interaction with John was brief, but the impression he left on me was strong and inspiring. He was a gentle and humble man and a great teacher. Thank you John for what you have taught us.
Date:
11-12-2007 08:29 PM
Name:
Dan Fishman
Location:
GSAPP
Message:
I always felt I had a special relationship with John. When we found time to talk, the room was always full of positive energy, passion, great mutual respect, and deep emotional and intellectual connection. John’s tragic passing created a hole – an emptiness -- in my reality that I still feel acutely. As people have written and spoken about John since his passing, I have come to realize that he had a special relationship with almost everyone with whom he came into contact! He was a man who embodied and modeled the best of our field’s humanistic tradition of creatively providing clinical services to others in a most caring, compassionate, wise, and effective manner – characteristics that pervaded both John’s scholarly and research work.
Date:
11-12-2007 12:02 PM
Name:
Suzanne Lee
Location:
South Orange, NJ
Message:
I am still saddened to know that future GSAPP students will not get to meet John Kalafat personally, although as we know, his legacy will live on. Back in 2000, on the day that 30+ of us applicants congregated, vying for spots in the School Psych program, John was the first interview I had. After meeting with him (and a current student at the time) only for a few minutes, I was relaxed, calm, and ready to chat. John was a respectful listener, a wealth of resources, and a powerful presence. I will miss him greatly.
Date:
11-11-2007 10:30 PM
Name:
Rose Farias
Location:
Newark, NJ
Message:
My thoughts and prayers go out to the Kalafat and GSAPP family. I knew John during my 5 years employed at GSAPP. He was a kind and gentle man and I will always remember his sense of humor.
Date:
11-09-2007 12:36 PM
Name:
Masha Bardash
Location:
New York
Message:
Throughout our educational careers we are taught by many, but only few become real mentors, who guide and support us in our efforts in becoming caring and knowledgeable clinicians. I am proud and lucky to have met few very special educators and supervisors at GSAPP. John was one of them. His support, acceptance, patience, and knowledge were valued and appreciated by many. I did not use opportunities to express my gratitude to him in person. I always thought I could do it later... My sympathy to John's family, especially to his grandchildren who will miss such a wonderful grandfather.
Date:
11-08-2007 06:07 PM
Name:
Lucinda Monica
Location:
Freehold, NJ
Message:
I was so shocked and saddened by the loss of John Kalafat. He always seemed so full of life. I got to know him as a colleague at GSAPP, and I was always impressed by how much he cared about the school, wanting to bring in the best students, and making sure that we reached out to everyone from all groups. John really lived by his own philosophy, and I had great respect and admiration for him. It is hard when someone like him dies, because no one can really take his place. My sympathy to his family.
Date:
11-08-2007 04:54 PM
Name:
David Brantley III
Location:
Kendall Park, NJ
Message:
I don’t know that John was fully aware of the impact that he had on me. He was a committee member on my dissertation, we served on committees together, and I worked with him on one of his research projects. I always looked forward to talking with him and was always “in a good place” after we talked. What struck me the most about John was his genuineness and integrity. It was refreshing and inspiring to see that it was possible for someone to actually be the type of professional and man that I aspired to be. I use the many things I’ve learned from him so often that they can’t be quantified. Many of the things I do best as a professional are reflections of him. Many of my shining moments as a human being are also reflections of him. He spoke of his family with such obvious love that he has even inspired me in my most important role as a father and a husband. He lives on in the many lives that he has influenced. He will be missed even though he is not truly gone.
Date:
11-08-2007 11:48 AM
Name:
Monica Indart
Location:
Maplewood, NJ
Message:
John was one of my professors during my first year at GSAPP. I still remember his gentle yet extremely effective teaching style, his dry wit, and his consistent interest in us as an eager but somewhat bewildered first-year student group. He made us believe that we could indeed learn the intricate art of interviewing. Now, 22 years later, I teach a section of Observation and Interviewing as a visiting faculty at GSAPP. So John, in his kind and quiet way, helped me to come full circle. I have fond memories of wandering into his office with some random question, and the generosity of his spirit will always be such a striking feature of his character; he was always willing to help, through sharing an article/resource, his time, and/or his personal and professional reflections, which were wise and vast. John was also a real humanitarian, in the best sense of the word. The field of crisis intervention has lost a luminary, and we are all the lesser for it. May the love, respect and admiration he earned be some comfort to his family now; my thoughts and prayers are with you in your sorrow. Many blessings to you John, as you continue on your journey . . .
Date:
11-07-2007 05:20 PM
Name:
Cynthia Ross Lindsey, Psy.D.
Location:
Northwestern State University, Natchitoches, LA
Message:
John was a wonderful person, professor, dissertation chair, and mentor. So much of who I am as a professional, professor, and thesis advisor is influenced by who and how he was with me. I use examples of his integrity regularly when I teach ethics. It does not matter how long it has been, his passing is a great loss to me personally and to the profession. His family is in my thoughts and prayers.
Date:
11-07-2007 04:30 PM
Name:
Olga Diamantis
Location:
North Brunswick, NJ
Message:
John broke the silent hallways for me every Thursday at work. As a first year, I only got to know him through a limited time window. He was a warm, humble man who left an indelible mark upon the field, the community, and GSAPP. May you rest in peace John. You are missed.
Date:
11-07-2007 04:05 PM
Name:
Mary MacGowan
Location:
Case Western Reserve U
Message:
The world is a better place because of John Kalafat. Thank you John for all your effort.
Date:
11-07-2007 08:18 AM
Name:
Corey Grassl
Location:
Highland Park, NJ
Message:
As an advisor, John was welcoming and incredibly easy to talk to;I felt a warmth in his presence. I wish that I could have had the opportunity to have him as a professor but fondly remember the too few interactions I did have with him.
Date:
11-06-2007 11:54 AM
Name:
Jeffrey Helms, PsyD
Location:
Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, Georgia
Message:
I am truly, deeply saddened by the news of John's passing. His commitment to education and student training was enviable. I will always be grateful for his continued assistance with my dissertation after leaving Spalding University and returning to Rutgers. He will be missed by many. Sincerely, Jeff Helms
Date:
11-05-2007 05:58 PM
Name:
Andrea Roof
Location:
Edison, NJ
Message:
Even in the few, short interactions that I had with John, I knew he was someone that I hoped I would have the opportunity to know better in my early career as a graduate student. I will never forget how modest he was on the day of my orientation - this struck me - as did his obvious caring and warmth toward students. It is an unfortunate loss that I will never have him as a teacher, but I am glad to have known him. He will be missed.
Date:
11-05-2007 01:17 PM
Name:
Suzanne Baranello
Location:
Psych Clinic GSAPP
Message:
I met John when I first came to GSAPP in 1989. At that time he was visiting faculty and I came to know the warm, kind man that he was. We had many conversations about family and he always seemed to care about any issues I may have been going through with my children. He was funny and smart and I thoroughly enjoyed the moments we shared. I missed him when he left Rutgers for Kentucky and was very happy when he came back to GSAPP as a full time faculty member. My heart and sympathy go out to his wife Anne and his sons and daughter-in-law. I know they will keep his memory alive so that his grandchildren will still know the joy of their grandfather. He left a wonderful legacy behind. I will miss and remember him always. Bless you John. Suzanne
Date:
11-04-2007 01:45 PM
Name:
Jim Langenbucher
Location:
Highland Park, NJ
Message:
I didn't know John nearly as well as I would have liked to. Just well enough to say hello, or to kid one another about our aging joints when I would run into him at Werblin. But I do know, because it was so very apparent, that despite his many accomplishments and stature as a scholar and a psychologist, he was a humble and gentle man, a warm and deeply dignified man. What a great model he was for our students and our community. I am grateful that he was among us, and am inspired by his memorials to try to emulate him.
Date:
11-04-2007 01:22 PM
Name:
Yair Kramer
Location:
Rutgers, 1st year
Message:
When I got to GSAAP and was told I'd be going straight to clinical work I was scared. I had no idea what I was doing. After almost a semester with John I am jumping on every clinical opportunity I have. John is in the room with me every time I see a patient. He guides me through it and tells me where to go next. He was so full of life it was so shocking to learn about his death and I am going to miss him a lot and had so much more I would have wanted to learn from him but I am comforted to know he lives on in the many lessons he taught us as students and in all the lives that he touched in such a special way because of the person that he was and all the amazing work he has done.
Date:
11-03-2007 11:00 PM
Name:
Sudha Wadhwani
Location:
Montclair, NJ
Message:
I just had to share this quote that reminds me of John and how he lived his life:
"Live as if you will die tomorrow, but learn as if you will live forever" - Gandhi
Date:
11-02-2007 06:45 PM
Name:
Barbara McCrady
Location:
Albuquerque, NM
Message:
I am so sad that John is gone. I admired his ability to do important work, to be responsive and helpful to his colleagues (including me), and to facilitate good work being done without having to be in the limelight. He and I also were fellow "boilermakers" (graduates of Purdue), and shared an occasional cheer or groan over Purdue athletics. He was one of the truly good guys, and I will miss him.
Date:
11-02-2007 09:41 AM
Name:
Sudha Wadhwani
Location:
Montclair, NJ
Message:
John was my mentor and role model for the past 10 years. We used to joke that we kind of adopted each other. He first was my clinical supervisor through the GSAPP clinic for a few years. He had such a gentle and affirming style, mixed with wit and honesty. He had such passion for his work and teaching, and seemed to truly be invested in my growth. He then was my advisor and dissertation chair for another few years. He helped me to focus and get the job done. He was my cheerleader and coach. He helped me feel so confident about myself and my work. He was a genuine, wise, sincere guy. He loved his work, enjoyed his hobbies, had fun, loved his friends and family, and was such a balanced, good soul. For the past seven years, he has been a continued mentor and friend. I am blessed to have known him. He glowed when talking about his sons, Annie, and more recently his little grandkids. What I've learned most from him is how to live. He did it right. I am so sad and will truly miss him.... Sudha
Date:
11-02-2007 09:33 AM
Name:
David Sacks
Location:
Message:
This is such sad news. John was a great influence on all of us during my time at GSAPP. Hardly a day goes by when I do not think about, and use, the lessons from Observation and Interview, Adult Learning and Training, and Crisis Intervention. I am especially remembering how he used to speak confidently to us first-year students about how, in all sorts of situations, we could "use your clinical skills." This was so reassuring to hear, at a time when we were just beginning to discover what our clinical skills were! What a gift.
Date:
11-02-2007 09:32 AM
Name:
Bibi Ortiz-Levine and Brian Levine
Location:
Message:
We are shocked and saddened to hear of John's sudden passing. We join the GSAPP community in grief for the loss of a passionate teacher. Our deepest condolences are with his family in their time of great loss.
Date:
11-02-2007 09:31 AM
Name:
Simon Rego
Location:
Message:
How very sad. He was a great teacher, and beyond that a great person.
Date:
11-02-2007 06:51 AM
Name:
Melissa Jurist
Location:
GSAPP
Message:
This man made the word "work" seem misplaced. Every single day that I came in, we laughed together. He provided a professional setting that taught me so much about our field, but even more about what it is to be a caring, loving human. I miss him so.
Date:
11-01-2007 05:46 PM
Name:
Laura Lokker
Location:
Montclair, NJ
Message:
I was so sad to learn of John's death. I will remember his genuineness and warmth, as well as the personal interest he took in each student. I feel fortunate to have known John, and to have had him as my very first teacher at GSAPP.
Date:
11-01-2007 04:31 PM
Name:
Mariana Wainer
Location:
Message:
So sorry to hear about John Kalafat's passing away. I remember him as an
excellent professor who was always so full of energy. My regards to his
family and the GSAPP community.
Date:
11-01-2007 04:30 PM
Name:
Anita McClean
Location:
Message:
What a sad and shattering piece of news. As many have said already, he was a great professor and such a wonderful, gentle, and warm man.
He taught me observation and interview …. My very first window into a world and profession that I have grown to love….
With gratitude to him and regrets to us all
Date:
11-01-2007 04:29 PM
Name:
Cindy Haines
Location:
Message:
For me John was a mentor, friend, advisor and confidante. His help and support as he got me through my dissertation was invaluable. More so, John was a unique individual in that he dearly touched the lives of everyone he knew. He will be sadly missed.
Date:
11-01-2007 04:29 PM
Name:
Nina Williams
Location:
Message:
I have two particularly vivid memories of John from his teaching Observation and Interview in 1989. The first was a couple of weeks into the semester when he told us how important it was to know your stuff, not just the theory, and that this demanded a real dedication to life-long learning: "If you're doing therapy right," he said, "you should be sweating." The second was his acknowledging a point in his life when he had made some bad decisions. He went to his therapist, explained what he had done, and the therapist replied, "John, you really screwed up." He described this as a moment of real empathy, and forever defined and expanded the meaning of that term.
What a loss his death is.
Date:
11-01-2007 04:28 PM
Name:
Cecilia Sanchez D'Elia
Location:
Message:
I am proud to have had John as my dissertation chair. Having known him, even before GSAPP was a true gift. As tears fill my eyes, sadness fills my heart.
Date:
11-01-2007 04:26 PM
Name:
Steve Dantzig
Location:
Message:
I read your note with sadness. I remember John as a caring and gentle man. My thoughts are with his family as well as GSAPP.
Date:
11-01-2007 04:26 PM
Name:
Kirsten Stoldt
Location:
Message:
I was sorry to hear of the unexpected death of John Kalafat. I remember him well from our Interviewing Intro class and found him to be a very nice man, open-minded, warm and with a good sense of humor. I feel bad for his family and for you all to have lost him so early.
Date:
11-01-2007 04:25 PM
Name:
Naama Nebenzahl
Location:
Message:
I am very sorry to hear about John Kalafat. This is truly devastating. He
was a great teacher and mentor, and I will greatly miss him. It is hard to
believe that someone who did so much to help people choose life over death was taken away so suddenly.
Date:
11-01-2007 04:16 PM
Name:
Michael Brooke
Location:
Message:
I'm sorry to hear of the loss of a great guy, excellent scholar, and extraordinary teacher.
Date:
11-01-2007 04:15 PM
Name:
Lucy Takagi
Location:
Message:
My heart and thoughts go out to John's family, friends and students who depended on him for classes and dissertations. John's expertise and knowledge was significant, but only secondary to his ability to empathize, help and reach out to those in need. I remember his pride when he got tenured, his sense of humor in classes, and his wonderful crisis
intervention class. John was the faculty member who went door to door at gsapp reporting on the news of Septemebr 11, when all of us were disoriented as we had just heard about the planes hitting the towers. His teachings will stay with me forever. This is a great loss for the whole
gsapp family. I will miss him.
Date:
11-01-2007 04:13 PM
Name:
Rachel Strohl
Location:
Message:
John was a wonderful mentor and teacher. I am very saddened by this shocking news.
Date:
11-01-2007 01:51 PM
Name:
Jeff Axelbank
Location:
Message:
I am shocked and deeply saddened to hear of John Kalafat's death. I just saw him this week at Werblin in the locker room following his basketball game. I ran into him there frequently, and it was always a pleasure to see him. In light of the recent discussion on this list about the organizational program, John held a special place for me. Since I attended GSAPP before there was an OP, and my time there coincided with John's first round on the faculty (before he left, and subsequently came back a few years later), he was an important influence on the development of my organizational psychology interests. In fact, he was on my dissertation committee as I wrote about an organizational assessment. I will remember fondly his "Adult Learning and Training" class and I regularly draw on what I learned with him there. In addition, there are many important lessons I got from John in his "Observation and Interviewing" course that I rely on in my clinical practice. These encompass both the content of the syllabus, as well as the way in which he structured both these classes. I often advised my GSAPP supervisees to be sure to take a class with John before they leave GSAPP, since experiencing his classes would be an opportunity they should not miss. But beyond all of this, I will mostly remember John's warmth, caring, and support, both during and after my time at GSAPP. I don't think GSAPP will ever be able to find someone like him - he is irreplaceable. And therefore, this is a terrible loss for the school and it's current and future students.
Date:
11-01-2007 01:49 PM
Name:
Caroline Mossip PsyD
Location:
GSAPP
Message:
The entire GSAPP community mourns the great loss of John Kalafat.
Thanks to all his students who have shared their fond memories. I only wish I had had the privilege of being in one of his classes. On behalf of the GSAPP Alumni Organization, I send my deepest sympathy to
John's family and friends,
Caroline Mossip PsyD
President, GSAPP Alumni Organization
Date:
11-01-2007 11:30 AM
Name:
Sylvia Krieger
Location:
GSAPP
Message:
John was a man of honor, integrity and compassion. Not only was he a distinguished faculty member, and admired by all his colleagues, he was a true friend, as well as someone who I admired as a brother. I will miss our talks. I will miss his smile, but most of all I will miss not being able to see him at GSAPP. I know anyone who has been in his life must feel the same as I do, but at least we can feel very privileged and blessed to have known him. Love Sylvia Krieger
Date:
11-01-2007 09:50 AM
Name:
Anne Damianos
Location:
Berkeley Heights, NJ
Message:
I am overwhelmed by the tsunami of support that my family has received, and the respect, and love, for my husband.
I honor all of you who were his students, how much he talked of you all, year by year by year. Of the minds unfolding, or the skills refining, or the insights gained. At the beginning of each semester, he would always say how astounded he was at the talent and the excellence of the students he had the privilege to teach, and to mentor and advise. As important as his scholarship and research was, so was his joy of teaching.
For John's peers, and staff: John was a man who would let others enrich him, and all of you have.
I am honored at how all of you are honoring him.
With love and sincerity
Annie
