Doug, Beth and Alison would like to thank everyone for their outpouring of love and support in the last two weeks. It means so much to us in this very difficult time.
We especially are thankful for the people who have worked diligently and tirelessly to help us remember Gregory by individually calling over 200 people, planning meals, setting up the communications, planning meals, infrastructure, planning meals, and media.
To interrupt their busy lives to work in emergency mode for us, and Gregory, will never be forgotten.
Also, to all the wonderful people who have brought food for us, thank you thank you thank you.
Did we say we are enjoying the food? We are.
{from Beth}
People keep asking us how they can help. As I began to write some words, I realized the most precious thing you can do is to keep Gregory’s memory alive.
When we cracked the security on all of Gregory’s devices, our house started dinging and ringing and beeping as though he was still there. It was/is oddly comforting. But here are a few ideas that are more approachable for all of you here today:
When you read a book and then another and another, you’ll be keeping Gregory’s memory alive.
When you don’t judge a book by its cover -- when you don’t judge at all -- you’ll be keeping Gregory’s memory alive.
When you binge-watch the latest Sherlock episodes or re-watch all 8 seasons of House or listen with voracious interest to each episode of “This American Life”, you’ll be keeping Gregory’s memory alive.
When you talk to a stranger with the same interest you would a friend, when you travel with curiosity and joy, when you embrace technology for its ability to improve the world, when you don’t put off until tomorrow that which you want to do today, you’ll be keeping Gregory’s memory alive.
…
Gregory could work a crowd like an experienced marketing professional far beyond his years. At a recent food show he attended with me he easily moved from discussing pairings of artisanal-maple-syrup (yes that is now a thing) to filming an ancient Japanese matcha technique to explaining the technical details of his new gimbal filming device.
After show hours, he worked the room at a crowded Italian party to easily find me new potential clients for my food marketing business. He was like a force of nature with a brain like Mary Poppins’ travel. bag. -- reach in and there was always more to discover.
Gregory was the best travel companion and always lived like there was no tomorrow.
In 2012 we visited Paris and the South of France on a whim, tagging along on a business trip. One afternoon, I wanted to meet a former work colleague and friend but Doug and Ali were too tired. Gregory agreed to accompany me without any hesitation.
We navigated Le Metro with ease and met them near the Louvre at the Jardin Tuileries for a short afternoon outing. Our friends arrived with expected French snacks for a picnic. My friend recalls the visit this way: “I remember Gregory’s passion and excitement for technology and our animated conversations interspersed with fromage, tablets, jambon & Google.”
Along with having a very active left and right brain and superpower tech skills, Gregory’s enhanced sense of taste and smell made him the perfect partner for my food blog and business. He confidently and unabashedly critiqued my flavor combinations, edited my prose, and often stood by my side to help me find the right composition through the camera’s viewfinder.
His innate ability to see the world beautifully was not restricted to his treatment of people but was also evident in his visual compositions in both still and moving pictures. And yet somehow, that wasn’t all. In his freshman year of college his favorite and most successful class was Creative Writing.
With so much talent, so much zest for life, so much potential, I imagine this quote from EB White might accurately reflect the unique dichotomy that was Gregory’s life each day:
I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.
{From Doug}
Don’t buy Applecare!
Gregory would always say that.
In my experience, all extended warranties seem to be just a 10 to 20 percent tax on purchases that are already too expensive. For everything else, who cares?
But, surprisingly, Gregory was always able to find a “manufacturing defect” years after a product’s warranty has long expired and by some innate ability-to-negotiate, would end up with a brand new latest model whatever it was.
He always got the new, better, best thing. This wasn’t a one-time thing.
He always managed to do that.
When Gregory was very small, I told him that his job is to take care of his mother and his sister.
To him, that meant, if someone was handing out brochures or flyers or whatever giveaway, he would get one, but go back again and again to get one for mom and then for his sister.
“Where did he go”, we would ask… and moments later, with his characteristic smile, he would be holding up two more, whatever it was for mom and sister.
He was the go-to guy if we needed to secure movie seats, or general admission seats, or a place up front for a better view for his sister. He could cut through a crowd like butter.
Speaking of crowds, Gregory had the gift of gab. He had an innate ability to work a crowd, grabbing the center of attention whether you liked it or not. He was the ultimate competitive talker and could seize the floor and filibuster until you were interested in what he had to say. You would acquiesce; resistance is futile, ..he had a lot to say.
I wasn’t surprised that so many different people considered Gregory, their “best friend”. He made people of all ages feel special. They were special to him.
His mailbox was always inundated with help requests from friends and family (and random strangers) for computer, ...phone apps, or general I-T issues, or even “dear - Abby” type personal problems. He said once that although he was “good” at computer stuff that didn’t mean he wanted to do that.
Right.
Nevertheless, his problem solving skills and approach to attacking a conundrum made him a very impressive and efficient “solutions guy”.
Gregory was also very interested in the latest “whatever”, and couldn’t wait to tell you or convince you why you, or he, had-to-have-it. Whether it was the new Virtual Reality Oculus, or why we needed MOCA (Ethernet over Cable), or how to improve our DVR.
He would wear you out about that newest thing. He was working on us all. the. time. and mostly what he said made sense (although we hated it). He was always right. We needed those things.
He even convinced his 85+ year old Grandparents that they needed a smart phone. This was Smartphone 2.0. They now call us on their home phone about how to use their “smart phone”. Ironic.
His latest thing was his drone obsession. He of course bought the most sophisticated, almost warfare ready, spy drone and started making short films immediately. His maiden journey took the drone out over Santa Monica beach straight over the water. No fear. Never mind, that the thing could have disappeared into the Pacific.
His Swan Song drone movie was quite beautiful.
I can only imagine the movies he could have made.
I can only imagine what Gregory could have accomplished.
…
Maybe we should have bought the Applecare (for Gregory).
Rest in Peace Gregory Thomas Lee
We love you and miss you.
