LeRoy

When I first started out in the business, one of my first contacts was LeRoy. LeRoy was a sales rep for the Old Northwest Company....but we are not going there. LeRoy taught me my work ethic. We worked our butts off making calls. We would take an occasional "coffee break" and when we stopped at the Colony Inn for one of those breaks, I ordered a Pepsi. He was aghast that I did not drink coffee. I was 18 years old at the time and had not yet acquired the taste for coffee. He proceeds to tell me that if I am going to be successful in business I need to drink coffee....and don't be a sissy and doctor it up with cream and sugar! Well due to his prompting...I now have a coffee habit.

He taught me how to write upside down so when sitting across from a prospect it would be readable for them. We called on business after business telling our story. Long after I wanted to call it a day, it was LeRoy who wanted to continue the calls. God Bless.

LeRoy was driving a huge Oldsmobile 98 ( they don't make them anymore) with more whistles and bells than I had ever had on anything I owned. He is responsible for me wanting a similar machine. Soon I went out and bought a butter yellow Plymouth Fury III loaded with every option there was to have.

Sometimes after a hard day working it was prudent to have an adult beverage after work. We were in my basement and I removed my clip on tie. Once again he was taken aback and told me I had to learn how to tie a tie and not wear the clipons. He had me go upstairs to get a real tie so he could show me how to do the knot. It didn't take me long to catch on and I was properly outfitted the next time we went out on calls.


At the time my poison was probably whiskey and seven or scotch and soda and Lee suggested that I ought to try martinis....no kid stuff Vodka Martinis...but the proper Gin Martinis...... I still remember the evening at his house when he explained that one would not be enough and three would be too many...sort of like women's breasts. The first one was gawd awful and the second was slightly better, but by the time for the third they were quite tasty. I never made it home that night upon the insistence of his wife who very diplomatically called my wife to explain my plight.

When my first Mini Cooper needed painting it was LeRoy who came to the rescue with his spray gun. He bought the first 240Z in the area and after he had a little fun with it "let" me buy it from him. At that time they were still called Datsun's! It was a 1970 model.

There are way more instances where took me under his arm and showed me the ropes and thats a good thing. Somethings you just can't blog about.

Today is his birthday. Happy Birthday, Lee! Don't drink your bath water.