A Sad, Sad Day
April 15th, 2007A Sad, Sad Day
From: John Carlton
Reno, NV (way, way west of Jewfish Creek)
Dear Friend and Subscriber…
This is a tough letter to write. Kevin and Bond Halbert, Gary’s sons, asked me to handle this task, however, and I readily agreed.
Gary Halbert, my good friend and colleague, died peacefully in his sleep Sunday night, April 8, 2007, at home in Miami. The news sent a shockwave across the globe, and the outpouring of sympathy and respect over the loss of this great man has been stunning. For several days, parts of the business world ground to a halt while the realization that this great man was gone sank in.
For now, our main concern is for Gary’s family. There will be a private funeral, and there are many heart-wrenching decisions to be made.
However, because so many people have contacted me, desperate to find out if there is anything they can do… and politely asking if there will be an opportunity to properly memorialize a man who touched so many lives in so many profound ways… I want to share some information.
1. First, Gary’s sons will keep this site active. The archives will be left intact, and you should check here for news on how Gary’s survivors choose to handle his legacy.
2. While the funeral will be private, in a few weeks Gary’s family will host a memorial service in Los Angeles, California. The exact date will be posted here, on this Website, as soon as plans are finalized.
3. If you want to attend this memorial service (or think you might want to), please leave your name and email address below in the “RSVP” section. This is to get an idea of what size building will be required. We’d like to keep it small and intimate, but because so many people felt an intimate bond with Gary, I wouldn’t be surprised if a large number of people attended. It’s not the happiest of circumstances, but I know how important it is to pay your respects to those people who have meant a lot to you. Everyone who knew Gary is invited.
4. People who leave their name and email here will be informed of the exact location of the service as soon as plans are made. At this point, it’s a little unclear how long the family will need before they can make these plans. My best guess is within the next few weeks. Bookmark this site, and watch for announcements.
5. Very important: If you would like to speak at this memorial, be sure to send and email to lamemorial@thegaryhalbertletter.com, and briefly explain your relationship with Gary. The old guy knew and worked with SO many people, it’s impossible for us to know who everyone is. Efforts will be taken to accommodate everyone who should be speaking to do so.
6. Gary’s family is asking his friends and fans to email your personal favorite stories about Gary to rememberinggary@thegaryhalbertletter.com. Write as long or as short a story as you need to. These stories will be gathered, and presented on this site for everyone to share and enjoy. There are no limits to what you can contribute to this effort to remember Gary. Personally, I know that a favorite pastime of Gary’s friends (me included) was to trade tellings of our latest adventures with the Big Guy whenever we got together. He was larger than life, and a joy to hang out with. And the adventures never stopped. There was never a boring day around Gary Halbert, as anyone who has “road dogged” with him knows. Here is your chance to share your favorite memory with his friends and colleagues and fans.
7. Finally… please do not send flowers. Instead, Gary’s sons are setting up a memorial charity fund in Gary’s name with the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. Please check back here, probably next week and we’ll have complete details on how you can contribute in his name.
Gary’s legacy is vast, and covers several decades that include dozens of seminars, twenty years of newsletters, forty years of ads, and more private interviews and private writings than can be counted.
Kevin and Bond will be using this site to communicate with Gary’s fans and friends. And they fully intend to keep it active, while they help history to understand this complex, brilliant, prolifically creative legend.
That’s all for now. More news will be shared as it comes in.
I want to personally thank everyone who took the trouble to email and call me and leave comments on my blog. It helped ease the hurt. I’m sorry I couldn’t get back to everyone who asked for a return call, but I’ll do my best to reach you as soon as I can.
But now, I ask that you email your stories in to this Website, and sign up for info on the fast-approaching memorial service in Los Angeles. Many people wanted to express sympathy and respect directly to Gary’s family, but didn’t know how to do it. Here’s your chance to reach his family directly with your thoughts and prayers. Kevin and Bond will be handling all incoming email personally.
There will be much written about Gary Halbert in the coming months. He was a giant in the advertising world, and will be sorely missed and discussed for a long, long time. As it should be.
I hate it that he’s gone. I’ll miss him for the rest of my days. But I also know that saying goodbye can be a cathartic feeling, and I believe the memorial service will provide that opportunity for those of us who were closest to him.
Sad days.
Be sure to say “I love you” to the people you care about, and treasure each new day as the gift it is.
A great man is gone.
Stay frosty,
John
http://www.john-carlton.com/
Copyright © 2003 Gary C. Halbert. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright © 2003 Gary C. Halbert. All Rights Reserved.
