STEVE RUTTER

I'd like to share one of the early stories about Jack when he was the Wadsworth sales rep in Washington and Oregon. He was trying hard to see a key decision maker on some big adoption, but that professor was about to leave town for his family's summer vacation. Jack found out where he lived and, on a Saturday, went in hopes of seeing him. He found the professor packing the family RV, about ready to leave town. Jack persuaded him not just to stay and hear him out but also to delay his vacation and call together the adoption committee so they could vote in support of Jack's book.

     After the vote, the professor wrote a letter (either to Harold Parnes or to Jim Leisy) extolling Jack's virtues—in particular, Jack's unswerving devotion to the ideals of a quality education for the undergraduates involved. That's the Jack who always won me over, every time, all those many years ago. It's the Jack I now remember with all my heart.

     Cecie, your eulogy to Jack, his struggle to achieve life itself from the very beginning, moved me greatly. And it reminded me of your own struggle to break into book publishing, first at CRM, then at Wadsworth. You and Jack were remarkable fighters together, struggling to become the best against plenty of obstacles. What a testament to the depth and strength of your relationship. We all yearn to love and be loved. You and Jack found that with each other in a way that must have been deep and abiding. I hope that the sure and certain memory of your love will nourish you for the rest of your days.