Sunday, June 21st, 2020
Happy Father’s Day!!
We asked the Pattern team, “What does your father mean to you?”
“My father was 88 years old when he died. I brought him to the opening night of Bethel Woods, the performing arts center “my son built”. He was very proud to be there, even though he was wheelchair bound. He died several days later as he succumbed to esophogeal cancer. He was a WWII decorated lieutenant in the air force where he was a lead navigator, flew 52 bombing missions was shot down twice and rescued by the resistance on both occasions. He never considered himself a hero. Surviving the Great Depression and fighting in WWII is just what many Americans did. When he listened to the Philharmonic, on opening night, he felt he had survived his last mission. My father taught me many lessons throughout our lives. He always rooted for the underdog. He jumped on a subway track to save a woman. And most importantly, you can always do better. He set the bar high but it was a bar he cleared many times. Miss you dad.”
– Jonathan Drapkin, President & CEO
“My Dad’s name is Ronnie and for years I didn’t call him Dad, to be honest, I still don’t call him Dad, we call him Ogre. I know, sounds horrible right, except that Ogre is not meant to be derogatory, it is an affectionate nickname. Like all families we have our favorite movies and for some reason Revenge of the Nerds is one of ours…Ogre comes from there, not even sure how it all came about but that’s what he is stuck with!
My Dad worked hard…really hard, he had three jobs when we were young. But after delivering newspapers at 3:30 am on Saturdays you could find him at the little league field. My Dad is one of the most introverted people I know…unless you want to talk to him about sports, than all bets are off! So you can imagine that I learned a lot about sports, not just his passion for baseball, but football and hockey too. On those Saturdays spent at the little league field I learned so many life lessons. The biggest was that no matter what the score is you go out there and you play the game to the best of your ability…until it is over-there was no giving up, there was no lackadaisical attitude if you were getting your butts kicked, you still went to the plate and if you went down swinging at least you went down trying. My Dad and I spent countless hours talking about the game, the subtle nuances and the strategy involved. Those are memories that will always bring a smile to my face. Ogre, I wouldn’t trade you for anything in the world!”
Robin DeGroat, Vice President of Operations & Executive Assistant to the President
“If I have a problem with… well pretty much anything, it’s comforting to know that I can call my dad and there’s a good change he can help me fix the problem. As a former biology teacher, “Mr. P” is an encyclopedia of knowledge on trees, insects, bugs, beetles, and dad jokes. I am still learning from him, but sadly I will never be able to learn how to grow a beard as well as him.”
– Eric Pierson, Senior Research Planner
“My dad is loving, generous, accepting and almost always maintains a sense of humor. He can be counted on for anything from a corny pun to dark sarcasm. He usually has an interesting perspective on topics and has always encouraged me to ask questions and to think. Love you dad.”
– Kate Stryker, Research Planner
“My dad is the kind of guy who can recite directions based on the nearest Dunkin Donuts anywhere on the East Coast. The guy who buys a trailer, drives cross country or across town to move his girls. Repeatedly. Because we move. A lot. He shows up when we have a flat tire, a spider, something heavy that needs to be moved, built or installed. He sits and chats about the weather, work, children, dogs, and even politics. He listens. Laughs. Cheerleads. Props us up when life is tough and believes in us. Always. Love you, Pops.“
– Michelle Pfeffer, Vice President for Marketing & Communication
