In Tribute
Thank you for your excellent and sensitive tribute article about those in the consulting industry who died in the terrorist attacks on September 11 ("A Profession Remembers Its Own," November, p. 30).
Geep Fisher had been a close friend since the early 1980s and, in fact, he encouraged me to come work at Booz-Allen, so the loss of Geep and our colleagues Terry Lynch and Ernie Willcher, at the Pentagon, hit home and hit hard.
You mentioned Geep's famous pre-Thanksgiving potluck dinner in the article, and I thought your readers would be interested to know that Geep's widow, Chris, and about 70 friends continued his tradition with a potluck turkey dinner at the Fisher home on November 21, Thanksgiving eve.
In many ways, it was the same as always — friends walking to the door with their side dishes, greeting each other, smelling the turkeys, and sharing good conversation, food, and drink. Geep's presence was clearly felt — and at times it almost seemed like he'd walk in and join us from the next room.
The potluck dinner took on a different tone at 8 p.m., when Army Brig. General Anderson arrived and presented Chris Fisher, Geep's daughter Serena, and son Jonathan with the Defense of Freedom Medal. We crowded into the living room to watch the medal ceremony, and were all incredibly proud for having known Geep and what he did for our country.
You might expect it to have been a sad occasion, but Chris was determined that everyone would enjoy themselves as always. And we did. We were filled with tremendous gratitude and pride, and were all very happy to be there and be part of it. In the kitchen, there was a picture of Geep in an apron standing beside three turkey-roasting pans, smiling that great smile of his. There's no question he was there.
A reporter and photographer from The Baltimore Sun joined us, and Geep's pre-Thanksgiving potluck dinner was featured in a front-page story in the paper on Thanksgiving Day. When we left, Chris reminded us to put the potluck dinner on our calendars for next year. I assure you we'll all be back.
David Dye
Senior Associate
Booz-Allen & Hamilton
McLean, VA
Ed. Note: On Tuesday, December 18, students and faculty from Marshall High School in Falls Church, Virginia, presented the families of Booz-Allen employees Gerald (Geep) Fisher, Terence Lynch, and Ernest Willcher with $16,000 in scholarship funds the students had raised at football games, drama events, and other activities. Booz-Allen has partnered with Marshall High School since 1997, providing tutors and supporting a wide range of school programs. Because of the Marshall/Booz-Allen partnership, the school came up with the idea of a Booz-Allen & Hamilton Scholarship Fund for the families of employees lost on September 11.
The Complete Adventures of Rayne?
I have been a subscriber to Consulting magazine for a while … a couple of years, anyway. I have always gotten a kick out of "The Private Diaries of Rayne Maker." Is the entire story (thus far) available? (I have pitched my back issues.)
Christopher J. Zahn
Associate Director of Strategy & Innovation, National Tax Compliance
Ernst & Young LLP
Milwaukee, WI
Ed. Note: Unfortunately, Rayne's book has been halted in production, as he is currently in negotiation to sell the movie rights to his story.
© Arc, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to TMSalesOperations@arc-network.com. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.