Jerry O'Grady - in loving memory

Jerry O'Grady - in loving memory 1-21-09, originally uploaded by kathyjohnson.

Yesterday I got the sad news that an old friend, Jerry O'Grady, passed away. You can tell by this photo he was a sweetheart of a person, with kind eyes, a big heart, and the strength of a bear. We worked together when I was consulting to Lockheed Martin (hence the Flight Management signage in the background). I often went to Lockheed's Virginia office to meet with Jerry, and sometimes we met in Vienna or other places in Europe, as we were also working together with my good friend Christoph Prinz's company, Flugwerkzeuge (FWZ for short).

In the early days when I got to know Jerry, my dad became sick and then we discovered he had terminal colon cancer. Jerry would call and email me constantly to make sure I was doing okay. I was so touched that he cared so much - I was only a little vendor on the other side of the states, so he didn't need to do that. But his compassion was boundless and I was so touched by his caring. I never forgot that time and valued his friendship even more after that.

I also remember how he offered to have me stay with his wife and daughters when I was out in DC - always willing to go the extra mile to make sure everyone felt good and comfortable. And now he's gone. The world is a sadder place without Jerry, an extraordinary person that I will never forget. God bless you Jerry as you ascend to a better place. My thoughts go to his wife and daughters and to all that miss Jerry.