From Bob Witeck, NLGJA National Board Member

Bob Witeck
CEO, Witeck-Combs Communications
NLGJA National Board Member

Where can I start?

It would be high falutin to say Roy was the 'eminence grise' within NLGJA, since he was so much more down to earth. A force, a goat, a mensch, a pillar, a man in love with language and friends and shaking things up. I will remember especially the way his eyes laughed when he was dazzlingly happy. And how much NLGJA made him dazzlingly happy.

What I can never forget and always expressed my own thanks to Roy was really deeply personal, not professional and had nothing to do with NLGJA specifically. Six years ago I happened to be attending a conference in Oakland, and Roy made a point to drive there so we could enjoy breakfast together. However, circumstances changed dramatically when I received a call that my father was near-death at his nursing home in McLean, Virginia and I needed to get to a flight home immediately. Roy never missed a beat, and gathered me up and took me right to the airport and we both spent the time talking about our fathers and partners and families. Simple enough and caring enough, and it made it possible for me to catch a flight and to be home with my father 45 minutes before he passed away.

And until now, with his own death, Roy was certainly the master of timing including the birth of NLGJA. I am so grateful for him and always grateful to him.