Gary Stein
Ellen, Robert and family:
Although I have thought of Michael (fondly, of course) many times over the decades we have been out of touch, I have never picked up the phone to reach out. Last night of all times..for reasons I cannot even comprehend..I decided to Google him in an effort to find his current location and phone number so that I could give my old friend a ring. That's when I learned that he had passed last week and that his funeral service would be the very next morning. Wow!
Michael made a major impact on my life back during a critical time in my 20s when I was a newbie analyst on Wall Street. When many veterans at that firm were rolling their eyes at the concept of taking stock advice from a kid with no prior experience or even an MBA, Michael was always supportive and caring in the most sincere way possible. He believed in me when others did not. He was more than a wonderful colleague during that period. He was almost like a big brother. I'll never forget that about him.
I'm glad Dana and I have had the chance to get to meet you, Ellen, a couple of times in the years subsequent. You two were a great couple and Mike was lucky to have someone like you to get him to the finish line. May you and your family find the strength and faith to get through this difficult period.
God bless you, Mike. You were a truly great guy. And I appreciated more than you know. RIP
Gary Stein