When my dad joined the Air Force, his dreams of becoming a pilot were immediately dismissed when it was discovered that he was red-green colorblind. By all good fortune, he instead became a journalist. After his retirement from the service, he went on to build his advertising and public relations career at the height of the Mad Men era. His client list included Vail, the Broadmoor and the Playboy Club, set against a backdrop of martini lunches served by women with cottontails and bunny ears. Right after college I went to work for his ad and PR agency, which in turn set my career in motion. I still own it today.
My father-in-law, Sidney Meyers, was also a Mad Man, but on steroids. Born and raised in the Bronx, Sid attended Cooper Union and joined the historic Doyle Dane Bernbach ad agency. As art director, his brilliant ad concepts earned him a rank among the industry’s best. Perhaps his most famous work was the “Daisy” ad for the reelection campaign for President Johnson in 1964. Every four years, news outlets unearth it for its enduring poignancy and relevance. His stories from “the business” are entertaining, to say the least.
I think about both men a lot. Their lives have impacted my career, my perspective, my world view and certainly my sense of humor. I hold dear and am grateful to have a slice of their legacy.
For me, this issue of PNW Bainbridge Magazine is deeply informed by legacy. The purposeful succession of Island Family Eye Care’s doctors— Kirscher, Brase and Hollyer—isn’t just touching, it’s a lovely reminder to be a blackbelt partner, someone who reaches ahead into time, who paves a road for those who come next; Dan Rosenberg, who not only works like a dog on his dreams of comedy, but makes it a point to foster and mentor other dreamers too; and Islander Denise Stoughton, who has made it her mission to preserve Ellen Barnes’ and Bob Green’s story of creating Frog Rock. Many of our advertising partners are steeped in legacy as well. Architects and BC&J founders Stella Carosso and Peter Brachvogel have passed the torch and their outstanding reputation to their daughter, Madison, and her business partner Michael Loverich. Smallwood Construction is also a legacy family business, its founder, Rob, working alongside his sons Shad and Ryan. I’m certain there are more I don’t even know about.
It makes me thankful we chose “yesterday, today, tomorrow” as the magazine’s tagline. With any luck, perhaps we’ll leave a legacy of our own.
