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I have attempted countless times to write this article, but have found it extremely difficult to reduce 28 years of a work marriage/relationship/friendship down to just a few paragraphs. The simple fact is that an article just can’t do it justice.
When our journey first began, I had been made an offer by a personal injury firm to leave the insurance defense practice of Haas, Austin, Ley, Roe, and Patsco to head up the personal injury department of the firm’s New Port Richey office. I was brought in to replace Bill Webb who was leaving the firm to become a judge on the Pasco County Circuit Court bench. Sharon Grimes had been Bill’s paralegal and thus she became mine when I joined the firm. This was in 1995. Sharon and I worked together at this firm for 7 years. I then left the firm in 2002 to start my own personal injury practice and ran an ad in the local newspaper for a paralegal. I was so blessed to have Sharon apply for the job, and of course she was immediately hired.
It was just Sharon and I for several years working side by side; but as the practice grew, we eventually brought on other staff members. Sharon was integral in growing the practice. She was my paralegal, office manager, and friend. As a matter of fact, there would not have been a successful practice without Sharon Grimes. Sharon was my left and right hand. We worked so long together that I did not even need to ask her to do many tasks. They were just done as if she were reading my mind.
Sharon endured countless stickies on files (yes, I am a sticky guy) and litigation deadlines that are too many to count. Jeannine Lazariciu joined us 8 years ago making us a firm of three. Then, 2 1/2 years ago we were once again blessed to have Sarah Barkley Raaymakers join the firm as my law partner. Sarah brought her paralegal, Casey Wilson, with her making it a firm of five. Sarah and Casey were able to work with Sharon during this time and experience the gift of her knowledge and guidance that I had the benefit of throughout all these years.
Sharon and I worked together for 28 years in this work marriage, and it was an awesome ride! However, as stated so beautifully in Ecclesiastes “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven”. Sharon advised us in March of this year that she would be retiring. She is taking this time to spend more time with her husband Ely who is now retired as well and with her boys, Shaun, Matt and Tyler. As a matter of fact, Matt is getting married in the fall and Sharon is looking forward to that life event.
If I used every positive adjective in the world to describe the total of 28 years that Sharon, I, and the rest of the members of our firm worked together and the influence that she had on every case as well as how she so kindly touched each and every client, those total words would still fall short of describing what Sharon brought to this relationship.
So in closing, all I can say on behalf of myself, Sarah, Jeannine and Casey, in what feels like a meager way, is THANK YOU! THANK YOU for your faith in myself and the firm, your knowledge and experience, your hard work and dedication, your passion for the clients, and your friendship.
May your retirement be filled with all those things you love and cherish and may you enjoy every moment as you have truly earned it, my Dear Friend!
Chuck |
