There's a general tendency to presume people just act for
short-term profit. But anyone who knows about small-town businesses and how
people in a community relate to one another realizes that many of those
decisions are not just for profit and that humans do try to organize and solve
problems. -- Elinor Ostrom, first woman recipient of the Nobel Prize in
Economics (2009)
This column
is about encouraging readers to live a hand crafted life: a life of choice based and following our
heart and our core values.
Rob Cranford
was one such person. I knew Rob from
Rotary. Just seeing him in a room would
make me smile. His open and honest
energy and integrity was palpable; you could feel it. He loved life, and he followed his heart in living a full
life.
Rob was a
humble and yet impressive person. He
used his head and his heart. He was an
astute businessman as well as a deeply caring family man, friend, and community
member. I have heard him laugh so hard
that he almost choked, and I have seen his eyes fill with tears at a touching
story. Rob’s emotions and abilities ran
the gamut.
Rob was a
devout man who practiced what he believed.
He didn’t preach, he acted. And
because of his many acts, this community is a better place. There is no corner of our community that he
didn’t touch in some way or another.
Under Rob’s leadership (and thanks to other great employees there),
Morrow Insurance was a profitable company, and they shared those profits with
organizations in Henderson County.
In this day
and age, when focus on the bottom line leads companies and corporations to make
self-serving decisions, it is affirming to know that Morrow’s decisions were
led by the philosophy that people and community matter. Non-profits knew they could count on
Morrow’s support. And
characteristically, when Rob would make a commitment or pledge, he would say,
“I’m sorry it can’t be more.”
I would tease
Rob that I was the Founding President of the Rob Cranford International Fan
Club. I really feel that way about
Rob. He had a halo while he was here on
earth, and now he has sprouted wings.
But from the
SRO crowd at his funeral, I have plenty of competition for that title. Friends told tales (poignant and hysterical)
about Rob, and most impressive were his sons’ eulogies to their Dad. The courage it took for them to stand in
front of a huge crowd at a terribly emotional time for them was fueled by their
obvious love and admiration of their father.
What a tribute to their Dad. I
know he was proud as punch. We all were.
There’s a big
hole in many hearts because of our loss of Rob Cranford living among us. I’m thankful that I knew him. I am a better person for having known Rob. We all are.
Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. -- Leo Buscaglia
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