A Tribute to Roy Dronkers
It will be easy for me to remember Roy Dronkers in the way that he deserves. He and I shared many passions, and our common love for tennis stands as one of the more profound statement of Roy’s character. There we were on court one afternoon, as he struggled to find his groundstroking rhythm.
Enjoying one of his many passions
“You know,” I said, “if you rotate your grip just about a quarter-inch, you’ll be able to hit with more force and more accuracy.”
Roy lived for hidden treasures and little nuggets of information that he could run with, so he wasted not a moment in trying it. Well, you would have thought that he had been transported to Centre Court Wimbledon, as he took delight in sweeping up the back of the ball and smashing forehand after forehand. I have never seen a grown man as giddy as he that afternoon. All from a quarter-inch turn on the racket handle.
It will be easy for me to remember Roy. He simply couldn’t get enough of people. I remember being invited to spend an afternoon on a yacht he rented. I can remember neither the occasion nor the purpose, but I recall vividly thinking how impossible it should have been to fit that number of people onto one boat.
I remember when he rented out a movie theater for the holidays. I can’t remember what we watched, but my vision is indelible of Roy shaking the hand of every person who entered.
And then there was the awards ceremony for a society that he personally established. Again, I have long since forgotten what the society stood for, but I remember Roy, microphone in hand, thanking everyone for attending.
With son Jeffrey
Roy embodies that wonderful quote from Maya Angelou: “I might not remember what you said, but I will never forget how you made me feel.”
It will be easy for me to remember Roy, thanks to our quarterly lunches, which would always leave me dizzy. How can anyone ask 10 questions in 30 seconds…about how Microsoft Outlook handles blind CC? His zeal for self-renewal was boundless…
…let me show you my new smartphone
…what do you think of this idea for a marketing support group
and yes, let me tell you about my new real estate agency.
He had the attention span of a five-year-old, and I would tell him so often. In response, he would invariably flash that grin that was about twice the size of yours or mine (which seemed normal because his head was about twice the size too).
Something magical would happen at those lunches. With his world going a mile a minute, with 50 things happening around him, with most of our lunches having to survive two or three reschedules before taking place, there was magic when we sat down at the table.
He could make time stop.
For that hour, I was the only person that mattered to him. I had his complete attention. I became the most prominent person in his orbit.
That is an extraordinary gift. That is a gift that I will remember for the rest of my time here on Earth. Time on Earth that Roy has helped me realize can be quite precious.
