I remember being home the summer before senior year and getting a call from Grandma Boquet.  She asked if I wanted a job?  Your dad was looking for a part time secretary to work in the garage office.  I went to interview with him and he told me he had to hire me so that when your mom and him went on trips and Grandma was babysitting I could bring her to church with you girls.  Your dad was a kind and generous man.  He would show up every so often at the flower shop just to visit.  I never quite knew what he was there for but eventually he got around to the reason for his visit.  I loved his dry sense of humor.  I will miss him.  

Jenny

Bert told me one day as we discussed various occupations. He could tell who could be successful in sales and those who would not.
He said," Kirby, remember those who can do, those who can not, either teaches or preaches." 


I visited with him some years later and said, " Bert you would n't beleive, I remember what you said, about those who can do, and those who can not, either preaches or teaches, would you believe I am doing both of them!

He said " Kirby, I knew you were going somewhere, I just never knew where."


THANK YOU BERT, for your inspiration and guidance!       

 Bert was known to say when he saw large men:

" It is biologically and geneticlly of little value to surmount a giant physic with a birdlike cranium."  

We flew to Dallas one time. WE came to land and the weather got real bad and the jet was bouncing all over the place. I looked out and said," Mr. Bert, look how the wings move on this plane, are they supposed to do that?"

He said," Kirby, bird wings move,  airplane wings are not supposed to, now just look ahead, I do not want to know about airplane wings moving."

Bert and another geneal agent had decided to have a sales contest and each salesman according to his/her sales would have a Casino night and each salesperson would be given play money to win prizes that would be auctioned off in the parking lot of the Astrodome.

Sure enough, we did our best so  Bert would have the most sales. WE had all kinds of games and one guy from the other agency, did his best to win everyone's play money. When we got to the Astrodome lot, this guy was ready to out bid everyone.
The first prize was a Cadillac. This man outbid everyone and was looking for his prize. Bert brought him his Cadillac. The man looked at it and said,"hey, this is a model of a Cadillac!"
Bert says," what did you expect to win with play money?"   

For Monique, Elizabeth & family:

Mark & I are very sorry for the loss of your dad. We’ve always had a great deal of respect for your mom and dad.  Mark remembers working for them as their “yard boy”.  Your mom spoiled him with her loving ways and your dad kept him smiling with his sense of humor.  Later on Mark would occasionally see your dad at work, and he was still the gentleman and still witty as ever.  Of course, you two were just two cute little girls when he was working at your house, but he was always impressed by your perfect manners!

Sometime after Mark moved on from being your parents’ yard boy, I came on the scene as your piano teacher for a while. I remember with pleasure visiting with your mom before and after your lessons. She was such a devoted mother.  I remember how excited Mrs. Norma was to learn that her daughters’ piano teacher was dating her former “yard boy”.  Your dad must have always been at work while I was there, but I do remember all the wonderful meals your mom was preparing for his return home.  Mr. Bert must have been a wonderful man from all I‘ve heard about him.

Please know that we will keep all of you in our prayers.

 Eternal rest  grant unto him O Lord, and let Your perpetual light shine upon him.

Mark & Elizabeth LeBlanc

These are some of my favorite Bertisms...

Life is good.

It's been educational. 

You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time. (credit to President Lincoln)

Live in hope. Die in despair.

Your sad story has touched my heart. 

If I'm not careful I'll live through the day.

It's nothing that I would care to discuss in public.

Things are tough.

I like to sit here and look out there because the whole world is coming to an end.

I've had a good life. It's been interesting. Now I'm just trying to hold it together.

I'd bet two dollars to a hole in a donut...

I'm busier than a one legged sharecropper.

He chewed my ass until the world looked level.

You have to answer the question in a manner that the question doesn't have an answer.

Ad infinitum and ad nauseam.