April 14, 2009

A Giant Of A Man

Today I received some news that I knew was coming but had been dreading.      The senior attorney I worked for at the law firm where I was employed some 15 years passed away on Easter Sunday, April 12, 2009.      He was affectionately called “Mr. Ed” by us girls at work.     He was a no-nonsense man, you either liked him or you didn’t….he could be very intimidating at times but if you got to know him and did a good job, you quickly found out he was just a big ole teddy bear.       He expected a good day’s work for a good day’s pay.      All the attorneys at the firm called him “Chief.”     He was a staunch Catholic and would joke with everyone who wasn’t saying he was going to have the Pope pray for us heathens!       At times, he liked to pull rank over the main attorney I worked for and would have me stop what I was doing and have me transcribe his tapes or finish up some work on a loan closing.        He always ended his tapes by saying “….that’s all honey, clean ‘er up.”      

Mr. Ed was married to the love of his life for many, many years.    He always treated his wife with the greatest respect and I never heard him call her anything but “Honey.”    He and Ms. Gloria would meet for lunch every day and then she would come to the office around 3:00.      He always got happy when she arrived and he made sure she had her Coke on her desk shortly after she arrived.      He would always ask me to drive Ms. Gloria home when one of their cars were in the shop or he needed someone to take her home if he couldn’t.       They ate at only two restaurants for many years and at one of those restaurants, he had his own table and bib (for spills!) and they keep a special brand of ice cream for him on hand.     They even named a sandwich after his wife!

Every year he and Ms. Gloria went on vacation and he always brought back a small gift for his “girls” as he called us.     The last gift he gave me was a set of beautiful napkins they got on a trip to the New England states….I still treasure those to this day.

Mr. Ed loved children.   He kept lollipops in his office for the children of the attorneys or secretaries who came to visit.    

You could set your clock by his comings and goings…..always at the office by 9:00 a.m., left for lunch from 12:30 to 2:00 every day and was at the office long after everyone else had gone home.    He was never out sick, even when you could tell he didn’t feel good.    He moved at a fast pace, he would put a man 30 years younger than him to shame at the speed he moved and worked!

Mr. Ed was a great Alabama football fan who never missed a game until his later years.     There was a story that circulated that he almost ran over a state trooper who did not know who he was and who tried and stop him from parking in “his” place!     I dare say that state trooper remembered this stately gentlemen the next time he saw him!  

Mr. Ed attended the University of Notre Dame and the University of Alabama where he received his J.D. in 1947.    He was admitted to the Alabama Bar in 1947 and the U.S. Supreme Court in 1961.    He held many important positions with the State of Alabama for many years.    He was one of the  foremost real estate attorneys in the State of Alabama and handled millions of dollars of real estate transactions over the years.

Since I left the firm six years ago, I have kept up with him.    I knew his health had taken a turn for the worse after the first of this year.    I saw him in early February at a local grocery store and when I went to hug him, he felt like a bag of bones.     Then just last week, I ran into another attorney at the firm who was on his was to see Mr. Ed in the hospital.     I was told that Mr. Ed had lost his will to live.   

Mr. Ed…..I loved you and will miss you.

azar ed

Edward J. Azar – October 1924 – April 12, 2009

26 comments:

Stacey said...

Oh I am sorry for your loss. Sounds like he was a true gentleman.

Kasey said...

I'm so sorry to hear about your loss. What a nice tribute you wrote.

Tara said...

Gosh, he looks like such a gentleman through and through!

Lamp Tramp said...

Such a heartwarming tribute to a wonderful man. Southern gentlemen are truly the best! I'm so sorry to hear that this wonderful man is no longer walking here on earth but just imagine the wonderful things he is doing up there in heaven!
xoxo!

Lisa said...

I would say that Mr. Ed's was a life well spent. How wonderful for you to have known him.

Lou Cinda @ Tattered Hydrangeas said...

What a touching tribute! I am a legal assistant too and have been for 29 years. I work for a firm in Gadsden. I am not sure where in Alabama you are, but it just goes to show it is a small world.

It is very special that your life was touched in such a positive way.

Take Care,

Lou Cinda :)

Lazy Mom Leslie said...

He sounds like someone I would have liked to know. What a beautiful tribute.

Unknown said...

What a beautiful tribute.

Unknown said...

Such a beautiful tribute to your friend and ex-boss! He reminds me so much of someone I worked for in Atlanta SO many years ago, down to calling everyone 'honey!'

Sorry for your loss.

Sometimes It's Good said...

What a wonderful tribute to that fine gentleman. God bless him.

Linda (Nina's Nest) said...

That is a lovely tribute to a wonderful man. They don't "make them like that" much any more! Linda

Justabeachkat said...

What a beautifully written tribute!

I'm so sorry for your loss.

Hugs!
Kat

Laura said...

What a wonderful post. They are the last great generation, aren't they?

Your blog is lovely,

Laura
whitespraypaint.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

Love your blog & enjoyed this post--such a lovely tribute.

Essential Oil Premier University said...

Judy, I'm so sorry for your loss. You have wonderful memories of this special man in your heart. . . and that is the most wonderful tribute to him.

Blessings,

Sher

Sherri said...

Judy, I'm sorry for the loss of a dear friend! I worked for an elderly attorney named Mr. Archer when I was first married. I was greatly saddened by his death about 7 yrs. ago. That was a very nice tribute you wrote to him!

Melissa Lester said...

He sounds like a giant of a man. I always love to hear about men who are bright and successful professionally, yet faithful to their wives. I know he will be missed.

Picket said...

Oh girl what a glorious tribute....I am so sorry for the loss of your dear friend...I loved the fact that he ate lunch with his sweet wife each day and had her coke waiting on the desk for her...a true Southern Gentlemen!

I hope you got the e-mail I sent you about the comforter set...let me know..it was from JC Penney also...have a great day my friend!

Celene said...

That was a lovely tribute. Blessings,
Celene

bj said...

He must have been a wonderful man for you to have loved him so...
xo bj

Miss Janice said...

What a life he led. I am sorry for your loss.

Melissa Miller said...

I'm so sorry Judy.
My sympathies and prayers to you.
~Melissa

Always a Southern Girl said...

So sorry you lost a dear friend. What a wonderful post you have written about him.

B. said...

That was a wonderful tribute... and made me think... will the legal secretaries in my office remember me so fondly?

Lake Martin Voice said...

Very nice tribute. I knew Mr. Ed, too. He closed a lot of loans for us. He will be missed..

Heather Ridky said...

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