Thursday, October 8, 2020
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I did not know Joe very personally, but the few interactions I had with him made a lasting impression on me. He was a daily regular of mine at Panera Bread in Brighton where I worked for most of 2019. Everyday he would come in and ask for a Plain Bagel and a small coffee. After a while, we began to bond over our shared love of golf. We would talk about that week's tournament, who we were hoping would win, as well as golfing memories of our own. Speaking for a few minutes with Joe and his buddy Tony was the highlight of every long morning for me at Panera. I obviously did not know him well but to the extent that I did, he was as genuine as they come. One of my last interactions with him before I left working there, he genuinely encouraged me to follow my dream of becoming a truly great golfer, by whatever standard that may be, because I have the time ahead of me to do so, which meant a lot as it is rare for somebody to validate our most personal aspirations, and that stuck with me. When one of my former co-workers and friends, Ben, reached out to let me know that he passed away, I was truly sad, and hope that my memories of him are received fondly by his family. Sincerely, George Leone.
