Larger than Life

I have worked at Starkey for over 11 years and in those years I have gotten to know numerous adults and children with disabilities. Some are just mere acquaintances while others have forever made an impact in my life and I will be forever grateful for the time I got to spend with them.
In my field of work we all know that we will get attached with some of the people we serve. It is impossible not to, and I actually consider it one of the perks of my job. The downfall of becoming attached means at some point I will experience loss. Unfortunately, I experienced such a loss this past week. One of my favorite clients that I would consider larger than life passed away unexpectantly.  He had received services from Starkey since 1975, when it was still just a school, and Starkey residential services since the early 1980s. He was a large fellow towering over most people and had a bark that was much bigger than his bite. He loved his family, taking trips, and the KC Chiefs and KU until they lost. Whenever I would be providing tours in the Starkey workshop it was a gauranteed that I would have a visit with him. He either would tell me he was going to take a trip to KC or his sister was having a baby. In all the years I had known him I'm pretty sure his sister was pregnant the entire time and had at least 26 kids. He had no concept of time, which made talking to him even more amusing. I am still in disbelief that he is gone and I miss him immensely. I always looked forward to our visits and providing tours will not be the same now that he is gone. He was larger than life and I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to know him. He, like many of the other clients, is the reason that I love my job.