I will always remember the way Don had to make people feel special. In group settings he would turn to me and share some piece of information. It was usually something simple like an observation about yesterday’s Red Sox game or an update on a classmate but the excitement in his voice and the smile on his face made it seem like he was sharing an inside joke that only the two of us knew. I was fortunate to connect with Don each year when I returned to campus to help him deliver the Harrison Smith Award. This is a scholarship given each year in remembrance of our LFM ’99 classmate who died shortly after graduation. Don was Harrison’s thesis advisor and each year he began the presentation by welcoming the Smith family and sharing his memory of Harrison. Afterwards we would all go out to dinner with the awardee, past awardees and the Smith family. Over the past almost 20 years, Don has never missed a year. Observing how happy he was, surrounded by his students and the Smith family, it was clear to me how much Don loved not only Harrison, but each and every one of us.
Stories from the LGO Community