Dad, you had a great 86-year run. 

You met John Wayne. 

You married the Orange Bowl Queen. 

You founded and sold a successful business. 

And you raised strong, compassionate children who have stayed out of jail (so far).

Growing up in Bethlehem, PA, you had a colorful extended family, first generation immigrant grandparents, aunts, and uncles from Croatia and Poland. Your dad moved the family around for a while for work reasons, WW II, work in Oakland and Washington State, then Independence, KS before heading back to Bethlehem. You somehow made it out of high school despite the trouble you got into with Reds, Ron and Coxy. After Liberty High School, you stayed in town, going to Moravian College and then law school at Washington & Lee in Virginia. You met your first wife, Valerie, while tending bar at the Jersey shore, which resulted in three kids, for which we are thankful.

You lived the Mad Men life: working in the big banking world in a Manhattan skyscraper in the ‘60’s, commuting on the train from Bronxville, NY, then Princeton, NJ, smoking cigarettes in the bar car in your suit, and driving the most interesting cars—Rovers, VW convertibles, VW Bus, Mustangs, and Jaguars. When things didn’t work out with Mom, you loaded up a rental van which you and Michael drove south in a snowstorm to where your Trust Banking software company’s main customer was based, Winston-Salem, NC.

You met your life partner for the next 40 years at a trade show. Nancy was recently divorced with two kids. We lived the Brady Bunch life, first in Jacksonville, FL, then in Atlanta when Nancy got the television hosting job for Today in Georgia. Happy memories include water skiing on Lake Burton, hiking the North Georgia trails, playing penny poker, boat church, gardening, masterfully grilling out at your grill station, football games, birthday dinners in New Orleans, and Christmas with matching pajamas. It was a life well lived.

You touched many lives in the 20 years of running Leland, the consulting and software company you founded on our porch in 1979. “Our Word is a Promise” was printed on the company business cards, a motto you lived by. There were many peaks and valleys in Leland’s history, from taking all employees and their spouses on cruises and weekend company meetings at resorts, to cleaning the bathrooms yourself because things were slow. Fortunately, the Y2K software concerns greatly increased sales and provided an opportunity to sell in 1998.

You and Nancy enjoyed over 30 years at your Lake Burton house in North Georgia. You became President of the Lake Burton Civic Association, took up golf, traveled, hiked, and found a way to gather the family on cruises far and near (at least near where Michael lived on St. Croix). When you felt the need for a change of pace, you moved to a Sarasota high-rise condo within walking distance of a ton of things to do. You also became President of the Condo Association (do we detect a trend?). When Nancy’s health issues took her from us prematurely, you then spent more time with your kids in Peachtree Corners, Asheville, Scottsdale, and St. Croix. Your final years were under the excellent assisted care from Sunrise at Ivy Ridge in Alpharetta, and dinner at Julianne and Paul’s three times a week, including football Sundays (go Eagles!).

You were preceded in death by your wife, Nancy Meluskey, and your daughter, Leigh Running. You are survived by your four children: Michael and his wife, Laura, and their son, Bailey; Julianne and her husband, Paul Ryan, and their kids, Zachary Kilgore, PJ, Anna, and Mattie; Kelly and her husband, Michael Palmatier, and their kids, Naomi and Ethan; Alexander and his wife, Roberta, and their kids, Nicholas and Juliana; and Leigh’s husband, Mark; Leigh's daughter, Natasha, her partner, John Ness, and their kids, Natalee and Max.

You put friends and family first. You were a fearless serial entrepreneur. You were smart. You were wise. You were kind. Your encouragement and support helped so many people succeed. You were loved by many and liked by even more.

Dad, thank you for being an amazing man with an amazing soul. We are thankful for your presence in our lives, and we are thankful knowing that your spirit and your legacy live on.

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