Dear Friends,
My thoughts and prayers are with Joe's family and friends at this very sad time. I'm sorry I am unable to attend the services this Friday, along with some of our PAHO/WHO fellow Toastmasters (TM).
My daughter, her husband, their two year old son and newborn daughter require my support for a bit longer, so I'm unable to return to the DC area this week. TM gave me great experience wearing many hats: every hat from cook to laundress, nanny to maidservice, not to mention a proud grandmother's undivided, endless love and affection. Joe and I shared thoughts on the joys of grandparenthood just last year.
Joe Ligua was an incredible leader and role model. Our TM club certainly will bear a major loss without him. Because of his dedication, wisdom, experience and exemplary speeches, he inspired countless members and guests over the many years we were fortunate to have him as an active member and officer, at every level.
After stepping down from my two years as club president, I then accepted the role of area governor. It was a no brainer that Joe could successfully lead our club to new heights. Even though he was not a PAHO employee, he had been dedicated and committed to attending and participating in all regular meetings in every role on the agenda and fulfilling each club officer's role. Despite all of his work, family and other TM commitments with different clubs, he willingly allowed me to twist his arm to accept the responsibility of club president.
Joe offered all our members a fresh perspective and had a clear vision for individual and club success. We all benefitted greatly from his insight. When the club initiated new meetings with TM manuals in Spanish, Joe was one of the first to become involved and he showed a keen interest in this endeavor.
In typical PAHO tradition, I refuse to say goodbye. Instead, I prefer to say, "Hasta la vista, Joe, or until I see you again, Joe."
Respectfully,
Linda