more changes

I guess it takes certain events in my life to truly me wake up and take account for myself. The last few weeks have provided some major events that have really got my attention and focus. The latest of these events was the passing of my boss. He was only 41 and was in the prime of his life. His death has really touched me on many levels. He was a brillant man who positively touched the lives of many people, as was evidenced by the hundreds who attended his funeral.

I have spent several hours evaluating his life and what made it special. He was a visionary man who took risks and thought big. This was what attracted me to seek employment with his company. All it took was 5 minutes and you were equally sold and ready to sign on. More then that he made sure that you were included in his vision. Despite all of the ups and downs that this company encountered over the last few months, his first order of business was to always take care of his employees. He ran a business to make money, but not at the expense of more important things like family.

This death has also given me a chance to look inward. He lived such a good and full life... I needed to see how I was doing. His example has given me new resolve to make some positive changes in my life, that might be the best legacy he could have left me. I feel that I would be letting him down if I didn't act on his example.

This has been particularly hard for me. This is the first death of someone close who wasn't expected to die. He was my contemporary and a great mentor. I will always cherish those memories of our time together. Those times, after work, when we were able to leave work behind and discuss the similarities between Judaism and Mormonism, outline our goals for our future, or just to share quirky stories about our families.




Steven Mark Gootter

Steven Mark Gootter was born on May 2, 1962 in New York. He passed away on February 10, 2005 in Scottsdale, where he resided for the past four years. He moved to Tucson with his family at the age of eight and graduated from Tucson High School, where he was state champion in tennis, and in 1985 graduated from the University of Arizona. Steve was an entrepreneur and enjoyed a successful career in real estate, financial planning, and mergers and acquisitions. He excelled in fostering his own and others' creative ideas. This passion was reflected in his founding of Journey IPD, an intellectual properties firm specializing in helping inventors and entrepreneurs license, commercialize and protect their ideas. Steve, himself, held several patents and has products selling in 27 countries. Steve was an active, giving, optimistic, and honest individual. He had a tremendous sense of humor and a gift for making others laugh. His "joie de vivre" radiated in everything he did and everyone he touched. His spirit will live on by all who knew him. He will be greatly missed by his wife Debbie, his two children, Sophie and Max, his parents Joseph George and Paulette Gootter, Sisters Shari and Claudine (Andrew) Messing, and his nephews, Alex Gootter and Drew Messing. Services will be held at Temple Emanu-EI on Sunday, February 13, 2005 at 2:00 PM., 225 N. Country Club Rd., Tucson, AZ. Interment will follow in the Temple Emanu-EI Section of Evergreen Cemetery. Remembrances can be made to The Steven Gootter Educational Fund, c/o Shoah Foundation, P.O. Box 3168, Los Angeles, CA 90078-3168 or the Sarver Heart Center for Research, UMC 1501 N. Campbell, Tucson, AZ.