Yesterday I spent the morning traveling to Toledo with a group of new business friends for a photo shoot. On the trip, we talked about our businesses and our struggles. I told them that 7 years ago, my best friend and I had purchased Thomas & Thomas from Bob and Monica: two wonderful photographers who had worked extremely hard to build a staple in our community where Sarah and I had our senior photos taken when we were kids. I told them how we struggled, worked for no pay, and would some times even sell things out of our house to grocery shop and pay for child care in the first few years. I told them how different things were now. How we are practically booked into 2017. How we are teaching with the most amazing photographers. How we are photographing the most amazing people and how we are doing the most amazing things.
It’s the struggle that got us here and made it real. It’s the help of Bob and Monica; two people that did it themselves and have encouraged us all along the way (as well as our amazing staff and family). I told them about Bob and how genuinely kind of a person he was. How everyone in the community knew him and loved him. How I hadn’t heard in a few days, but how he was sick and wasn’t going to make it long. How I hoped that Sarah and I were making him proud taking over this legacy that he had built from the ground up more than 30 years ago.
I didn’t realize, but he had passed only a few hours before. Bob was the best mentor, teacher, photographer and friend you could ask for and we will miss him more than we can say. We love you Bob.
