Kevin wasn’t just my husband or the father of our boys.
He was:
My best friend
My co-worker
My lunch date
My carpool buddy
My geek-squad tech
My stylist
My salsa partner
And my personal political correspondent
Kevin, how will I manage without you? You never taught me how to turn on the tv in the movie room!
He was into the simple things in life. He loved horsing around with the boys, playing with them in the pool, and going for family walks with our 3 dogs: Bubba, Charlie and Biggie.
He was definitely a movie guy and not a sports guy. When we moved to Florida, and I made my first “non-Gartner” friend at our boys swimming class, I suggested the 4 of us hangout. They are from the Northeast, we’re from the Northeast, they have two kids, we have two kids. I thought we had enough in common to start a friendship. Kevin, however thought differently. He needed more information before he committed to hanging out.
His main question:
Is he a sports guy or a movie guy?
I looked at him puzzled, why does it matter??? I told him to just ask him when we hang out. He quickly informed me that he had “years of friend making experience” and knows for a fact—that he “clicks with movie guys more easily”.
That was my Kevin, skittish to let anyone new into his friend circle. However, once you were in, you had access to all of him, the good, the bad and the ugly.
When we moved to Florida, he was sad at first. He was sad because he was convinced, he’d never make any new friends and that when he died no one would show up to his funeral.
Never, did I think we’d be here today…. So soon planning his last wish. But at least I brought him back home, and he doesn’t have to worry about an empty funeral home.
Kevin you are soooooooooo loved that the line wrapped around the building for your final goodbye.
Kevin had deep love for his family. Growing up I was always told to pick a man by the way he treats his mom, and boy did that advice work out great for me.
He was so special, so affectionate, so thoughtful. The girls at work would tell me Kevin should write the “husband handbook”. He loved hearing how the girls thought he was a great husband.
When I would tell him how much I appreciated his gestures he would simply say: “oh don’t you worry…. I am only getting these brownie points for the day I’ll need to use them.” He followed that by looking at me and saying: Monica, don’t you know how much I love you???
He was always like that, never accepted compliments.
I’ll tell you guys one last story. I’ll try to make a long story short, but as Kevin would always point out, Monica – if you start a story with long story short, you should only give the highlights and not go into each detail. So, this will technically be a long story long.
While on vacation in Mexico, someone stole my rings. Kevin knew that if he simply replaced them, they would not have the same meaning as the originals. So un-beknown to me he started to plot a way to get just as much meaning into my replacement rings.
He started plotting for this by upgrading his LinkedIn so he could InMail Marc Anthony’s publicist.
He didn’t stop there – he figured out all the members of his band. The conga player, the base player, the trumpet guy and the drummer. He was emailing anyone and everyone in the Marc Anthony camp, including folks who run his non-profit. He created a form letter and emailed it every day for months to everyone in the Marc Anthony camp.
Marc was performing at radio city musical hall in the summer, and he got premium seats. His plan was in motion. He wasn’t asking for access to a meet and greet, all he wanted was for Marc to play our wedding song: Tu Amor me Haci Bien.
If Marc would play our song, he would surprise me with a second proposal with the same a. Jaffe style engagement ring.
What made Kevin so special was his attention to detail. Months earlier we were browsing in Bloomingdales —- CORRECTION he was browsing in Bloomingdales. While walking through the departments a dress caught my eye and I ran my fingers through it looked at the price and kept walking. I didn’t say a word about it. Never did I imagine that months later that dress and my first and only pair of Christian Louboutin shoes would be waiting for me in the Hyatt hotel closet in Manhattan!
To this day I don’t know exactly how he pulled it off. All I know is when we checked in the closet door was open, the dress was hanging, and the shoes were neatly placed next to the Christian Louboutin bag.
We went to the concert early because got the "good tickets", the ones where they give you signed marc Anthony swag. The concert started and Kevin seemed uneasy, I kept asking him what was wrong with him, and he answered I planned a lot for today and I just want everything to work out. I reassured him the night was perfect and I didn’t need any more surprises.
It was towards the end of the concert and Kevin looked so nervous it seemed he liked wasn’t enjoying himself. I kept telling him to relax.
Finally, it happened!!!!!
The intro trumpets to our song Tu Amor Me Hace Bien! I felt my heart swell with happiness, and I looked over to see Kevin’s reaction and there he was holding my ring and asked me if I would be willing to do it all over again?
We were both so overjoyed, he not only managed to replace my rings but to give them new meaning.
I almost forgot to tell you guys… All those months of emails he sent; he never once got a reply. When we got back to CT, he emailed the publicist and said I don’t know if you had anything to do with it, but I want to thank you because Marc played our song and I proposed to my wife again.
This time he got a two-word response:
–You’re welcome.
Kevin, please keep dancing to Marc Anthony in heaven, I’ll continue to be your dance partner. I will love you forever.
