Friday, April 16, 2010

REMEMBERING BOB FRANKS

Flags are flying at half-staff today in honor of Congressman Bob Franks who passed away last week. Governor Chris Christie says, “Bob Franks was a patriot who loved his family, his country and his stat. As both a state Assemblyman and U.S. Congressman, Bob provided tireless leadership for New Jersey. Beyond that, he was a great friend, a true gentlemen and just a genuinely nice man. As a gesture of our appreciation and respect, I am ordering the flags lowered in his honor. Mary Pat and I will continue to pray for his family following his untimely passing.”

A memorial in tribute to the life of Bob Franks will be held tomorrow 11am morning at Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark. The spekers will include Christie, former Governor Jon Corzine, former Governor Tom Kean and former Governor Christie Whitman.

People more important and more eloquent than me have paid tribute to Bob already, but I'm putting my two cents in anyway.

Bob was brilliant, funny and kind. I was fortunate enough to socialize with him on many occasions and always walked away a slightly better person. Bob and my wife also became fast and close friends and he was kind enough to help a friend of my wife's land a very hard to get internship in the pharmaceutical industry. He simply said to my wife, "Not a problem. I'll handle it personally." And he did.

Bob was the gentlemen all men should aspire to be. Rest in peace, my friend.

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