Date: Thu, 30 Dec 1999 11:32:13 -0500 From: Kevin Ivers Subject: In Memory of Bob Hasek - A Message from Rich Tafel In Memory of Robert Hasek From Rich Tafel, LCR Executive Director December 29, 1999 11:00pm ET Dear Friends: At 7:30PM tonight (December 29th) Bob Hasek died at George Washington University hospital. Bob was diagnosed with pancreatic and intestinal cancer last July, just before the 1999 Liberty for All conference in New York, for which he had spent six months as conference manager but would then not be able to attend because of his health. Following the diagnosis, Bob decided to tell all of those who cared about him the unvarnished truth. He began chemotherapy to prolong the quality of his life. He also set out some clear goals. He wanted to return to work at the LCR national office where we were busy looking ahead to the 2000 Philadelphia convention, attend the Liberty Education Fund board meeting in Palm Beach in November, visit his close friends in Switzerland, visit his home church in Baltimore and attend one more transportation conference. His long-term goal was to attend the wedding of his childhood friend's daughter this coming June. Since the diagnosis, Bob was hospitalized twice for surgical procedures. A procedure on Wednesday, December 22 was unsuccessful, which afforded Bob the chance to attend Christmas Eve services here in Washington, and spend Christmas with his childhood friend in Rockville, Maryland -- a tradition of 30 years. Christmas 1999 was memorable to me because Bob and I went to Christmas Eve service together. He shed a few tears during the carols and readings, acknowledging that this would be his last Christmas on earth. He and I walked one block from the church to Annie's on 17th St for our dinner. The one block walk took us twenty minutes, as he was very weak. Bob ordered his favorite meal, and asked questions about the office. Not long into the meal he acknowledged he needed to get home. He debated going to his friend's house in Maryland on Christmas Day and made the trip, spending a few hours there. Bob was thrilled to see his "niece" whose wedding he had to concede he would not be attending in June. She drove him back to Washington, which he described as very important to him. Another surgical procedure on Monday was rescheduled for Tuesday. Kevin and Mick were "on-call" to pick him up and take him home afterwards. But following a successful operation, Bob went into cardiac arrest in the recovery room. He feel asleep, and never awoke. He died a day later --December 29. As many of you know, Bob has no living relatives. He was an only child. He had one distant cousin whom he called on Christmas Eve. What Bob did have, which he really came to realize to his great delight, was the family he had created. On his last day at home, he praised D.C. Councilmember David Catania's office for helping him get a parking pass for his friend to stop over. He acknowledged he felt like a real insider. "You didn't tell me about all the fringe benefits in Log Cabin," he said. Bob acknowledged all of the love and support he received from his Log Cabin family. Many of you called and wrote notes throughout his illness. He appreciated them in ways you can never fully appreciate. He was in amazement at the outpouring of love he received within the organization. Bob had been forced into early retirement from his transportation job, and after reading a negative article on Log Cabin in the Advocate in 1996, which among other things claimed falsely that we were in danger of going under, Bob came in to volunteer, and eventually became a full-time volunteer staffer for the last three years. He later acknowledged that his work on Capitol Hill and at our annual conventions for the organization meant more to him than all of his years working for the government. When I called him from New York last August to tell him that the 1999 convention had been dedicated to him by unanimous vote, he burst into tears on the phone. Mark Cassidy, a Liberty Education Fund board member from New Orleans and a longtime leader in Log Cabin, gave a toast to Bob in Palm Beach this fall on behalf of the organization, and Bob kept talking about what that speech meant to him. Cancer can be a slow, painful death. Bob was just beginning the period of pain and decline. I'm very happy tonight that Bob got to plan out everything himself, which is just his style. All the details were taken care of. Most importantly, he had the opportunity to get back some small part of the love he had spent a lifetime giving out. Now he's free of suffering, watching over us all. As we reflect on the milestone of this particular New Year, we would all do well to live the life of kindness, humility and selflessness that Bob's life modeled. And when you make your toasts at midnight on December 31, add one to Bob Hasek. I know he will appreciate it. Last summer, Bob, his friend Chris Glazer and I discussed the details of his memorial service that will be held in Baltimore, Maryland. We'll let you know more in the coming days. Happy New Year to all of you. -- Rich Tafel Log Cabin Republicans Kevin Ivers (202) 347-5306 phone Director of Public Affairs (202) 347-5224 fax http://www.lcr.org