Musings from CML Architects & Builders, LTD.

In Memory of One of My Old Bosses Who Just Passed Away.

By Charles Lee

It was Sunday, I was on McCormick Blvd. going north when my cell phone rang. It was a client for whom I had finished a new kitchen with a family room addition not too long ago. No sooner had I answered the call when he said, “Charles, did you hear what happened to Ken, your old boss?”

“No. What happened?” said I.

“He was found dead by somebody early in the morning last Tuesday in his office, probably a heart attack or something.” said Doug.

“No! I do not believe that! He is only about fifty years old! Thats still young!”

“I hear the funeral is today.”

“Do you know what time?”

“No, but here, hold on, Jim might know (another client of mine who lives right next door to Doug).”

“Hi, Charles. Jim here. Susan says the funeral is 12:30 this afternoon at St. Patrick’s,” said Jim. I looked at my watch. It was 11: 25. I called my client and canceled my appointment. I turned my car around and went home and changed my clothes to attend the funeral and got back on the road hoping to make it to the funeral not too late. By the time I got there, the funeral was almost over. I stayed around to get a chance to give my condolences to Ken’s wife and his only child, William, who looked about twelve years old now.

Ken was one of those few people I had worked for who had entrusted me with some heavy responsibilities. He was an architect and a general contractor, and time to time we would have our differences on certain matters. However, we always respected the other’s opinions and did not hold any grudges against each other.

Initially, there were just two of us in the office to do everything. We were our own architects, general contractors, project managers, engineers, and secretaries. What I’d learned during those first few years in his office, I’d learned more than all during the previous 10 years in other bigger offices combined. I had learnedand learned fastbecause, firstly, the opportunities to learn had been given to me, and, secondly, I had taken them and taken them eagerly. Also there were a lot of hands-on experiences as to dealing with the project from the initial client contact to the final walk through the project with the client. The projects might have been smaller than the ones I had worked on before but all the job phases that you would encounter in big jobs were there though smaller in scale. I was in charge of making a lot of critical decisions throughout most of the projects.

I know that not all offices could afford to take chances with their employees like Ken had with me. But I hope that more and more offices would be able to sincerely try to create the office environment of more positive reinforcement where employees would get more chances to learn and grow and do their jobs more efficiently, accurately, competently and with more self-confidence in performing their work.

Thanks Ken.
May you rest in peace.