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Thoughts About Jack
"Jack founded Maxim with the firm belief that analog integrated circuits would prove to be a great growth market. He led our Company with steadfast determination for 24 years, grew it from the ground up to over $2B in sales. His success provided returns for shareholders and income for over 10,000 employees and their families over his long tenure here. He was a strong leader with seemingly limitless energy and enthusiasm. His attention to detail and guiding management principles established the highly pragmatic culture at Maxim."
- Tunç Doluca, Maxim President and CEO
Thoughts About Jack
"The San Jose State baseball family is greatly saddened to learn of the passing of Jack Gifford. He was a long-time baseball supporter, and just a lover of the game. He helped many universities in this community, and did so many things for the student-athletes. With his company, Maxim, he was able to provide internships for so many of the students when they graduated. He helped the San Jose State baseball program so much. I'm almost embarrassed to talk about it, because of all the help that he gave us."
"Above and beyond that, Jack Gifford was a tremendous man and a great humanitarian. He was always willing to help people in need, always willing to help people in general, and always there for you as a friend. This is a great loss obviously for his wonderful family, and a great loss for anybody who was a friend of his. We are all touched very deeply by his passing, and we're still in a stunned state a day later."
"We will try to honor Jack in some capacity, whether we wear his initials on our jerseys, (or in another way). Next year, we are starting a tournament. Santa Clara and San Jose State are going to combine on a tournament, and perhaps will name the tournament after Jack. He certainly will not be forgotten, not by San Jose State University, and not by the many, many people that he touched over his very distinguished life and career."
- Sam Piraro, San Jose State Baseball Head Coach
Thoughts About Jack
"This is a truly sad day for Maxim and for me personally. Jack Gifford was a legend in Silicon Valley and an exceptional CEO who built one of America's great companies. He was also a wonderful husband and father and a deeply loyal friend to virtually every Maxim employee, past and present. We will all miss him enormously."
- Kip Hagopian, Maxim's Chairman of the Board
Jack
He was a great man, you don't find many of those.
Jack may have been tough but if you had a problem he would take care of it.
ee cummings had it right (this is probably only close):
There are possibly 2 1/2 or impossibly 3
individuals every several fat
thousand years. Expecting more would be
neither fantastic nor pathological
but dumb.
- Chuck Rigg, Senior Vice President
Faith, Generosity, Baseball
Some years ago I was in charge of Branham Hills Little League's "Handicapped" baseball team...our first year offering a team experience to special needs kids. We were operating on a bare-bones budget which did not include team shirts. Somehow Mr. Gifford heard about my efforts to raise money for team shirts for the kids and their on-the-field helpers. He stopped by my desk, asked "How much to get shirts for everyone?", and handed me the cash! I asked if he wanted to know more about the program before making such a generous donation but he said, "No, kid, if it's good enough for you, it's good enough for me." I know for a fact that many kids slept in those shirts! I've never forgotten his faith in me or his generosity! Thanks, Jack, for everything!
- Therese Montgomery, Associate MTS, Applications/Technical Support
Generosity
Shortly after I began working for Maxim, our office lost an employee to cancer at a very young age. The employee left behind a wife and young children. Jack's response was very eye-opening for me. He provided the widow with both financial support and assistance with medical benefits for five years. I'm not sure if he'd even met the employee or his spouse, but it did not seem to matter. He understood the hardships his widow would be facing and did not hesitate to help in any way. I will never forget this extremely generous gesture. Nobody was too small, too far away or too insignificant to Jack. We have truly lost a great man who did not hesitate to make a personal connection with the employees whenever he could.
- Michelle Cybuch, Office Manager
A Grateful Maxim Employee
I didn't know Jack Gifford personally but as a Maxim employee I am apart of his legacy. I met him once, just after I was hired, exchanged a simple handshake and received a welcome to his company. Like many of us I admired Jack, from a distance, for his charisma and fierce dedication to the success of Maxim. Truth be told I was grateful for that distance as I am grateful for the distance between myself and the Sun. Getting too close to either could get you burned and only the bravest of souls tempted that fate. He was tuff but he was fair and incredibly loyal to all those lucky enough to be apart of the Maxim family. Those traits were infused into his leadership team and rippled their way down to me. I've had my challenges within the company but because of that loyalty I was allowed to push through them and become a contributor to the success of his company. Thank you Jack. You will not be forgotten.
- Jamie Dipalma, ABM MS1
A Letter to Jack
Dear Jack,
It's difficult to describe the hollow feeling in my heart after hearing the shocking news Monday morning.
All of Maxim owes so much to you.
I, as many of my colleagues, joined Maxim because of you. I am sure you didn't notice me in the audience when you made your pitch about Maxim to this tiny, failed start-up company that you were planning to acquire. The passion, the business savvy and the sheer energy that you projected made up my mind for me. I knew then that you would always stand out in any crowd and that you would do the same for Maxim.
Throughout the years, you coaxed, harangued, lectured and inspired us to help you build a great company. I learned a tremendous amount from you. Thank you for that great experience.
Together, we went through many ups and downs over the years (fortunately they were mostly ups). Even in bad times, you always had a place in your heart, not just for me, but for every Maxim employee.
Jack, I miss you and I know that many, many other Maximites do as well. You will always have a special place in my heart.
Goodbye,
Vijay
- Vijay Ullal, Group President
Thanks Jack
The news of Jack's passing was sad to me and probably sadness increases for people in proportion to how well they new the man. He was as others have said a tough businessman but a compassionate human being on a personal level. His accomplishments and passion are well worth celebrating. I want to acknowledge him for guiding and helping me professionally and for talking kindly to my family. May he rest in peace. My sincere condolences to his family.
- Harmeet Sobti, Director, Product Engineering, Hillsboro, Oregon
God's Helper
Thank you Mr. Gifford for what you have done in your 68 years of life. You are someone I have always looked up to and admired even though I always had a terrible time comprehending why you would always turn down our requisitions with so many questions, but each year whenever our annual bonuses arrived, I would realized why you did what you did. I remember your words of wisdom "spend the company's money like its your own..."
I know you were not so much penny-pinching, rather you probably just wanted us to have more at the end of each day. My heartfelt gratitude to you for setting up good examples for all of us. Your vision has helped many of us realized our dreams. I know that GOD has called you now because you have finally accomplished everything that you were set out to do here on earth. He probably needs another visionary to help him build another Maxim Integrated Products up there in heaven. Or perhaps a great baseball coach for a team HE is building.
So long Mr. Gifford, until we meet again...
Thank You.
- Bernie M. Guintu, Systems Administrator, Information Technology Dept.
Jack, a Great Leader in Financial Management
Jack was a great leader in financial management. If you look at the current state of the economy, we have debt problems at every level (federal government, state government, city government, corporation, consumer). Jack built a company with no debt and did not employ any leverage. If we follow Jack's style of financial management, our nation would be in much better shape today.
I remember that in October 2000, Maxim's stock dropped sixteen dollars in one day because Jack told the analyst that Maxim bookings exceeded real market consumption. He was the first chip executive to predict a downturn in chip sales. His insight prevented Maxim from expanding too fast and being fooled by unrealistic and unsustainable numbers.
- Ching Tang, Senior Process Engineer
Huge Heart
I worked with Jack for over 20 years. During that time, he became my Maxim dad. He taught me many things about character and excellence. He also was very patient with me and allowed me to try again after making mistakes.
What I really loved about working for Jack was the no matter how meetings went, good or bad, I almost always learned something from him. He was so tough, but I knew that he just cared so much that he could not accept anything mediocre. This was a great lesson to me and taught me to push everyone to do their very best every time.
He also taught me a great deal about compassion. Be kind to people when they are facing hard times.
I will miss him.
- Jennifer Gilbert, Vice President
Jack Gifford - Competitor, Mentor, Friend
Jack Gifford was truly a unique man. I worked with Jack for 26 years. He was a mentor and a second father to me. I have never met a more thoughtful, confident, caring, intense, competitive, savvy, insightful, and driven man. Jack possessed a force and a will that were very rare and remain to this day, very compelling.
I remember getting in a heated discussion with him over new product direction in 1983, when Maxim was in the bank building on the corner of Fremont and Mary in Sunnyvale. Someone suggested that we second source the OP07 operational amplifier. Jack insisted that we second source PMI's version of the device and I advocated second sourcing the ADI version as it had some advantages. Fortunately Lee Evans came to my defense and Jack rarely argued with Lee.
In 1984 Maxim had its first products. I was working late and weekends developing the test capability on a chopper-stabilized amplifier (OA05). Jack came in one day and sat and worked on it with me for about an hour. I think he left that day with a better appreciation of the difficulties in measuring microvolts.
When automobiles started to have anti-lock brakes and airbags available as options, Jack established a policy that Maxim would pay for that option if an employee purchased a new car. He cared about the safety of his friends and employees. On more than one occasion, Jack shared with me that the thing about Maxim he was most proud of was that Maxim provided gainful employment for so many families.
Maxim used to have five year planning meetings with the board of directors and executives of the company at the Mauna Kea resort on the island of Hawaii. Jack would get up early every morning and go out fishing. He often caught sizable fish. I remember he and Frank Wazzan caught a nice size fish one day; I remember taking a picture of them. I remember those trips and the enjoyment of interacting with Jack outside of Maxim. It was great fun to be with him (outside of work).
In the 1990s a group of us would play grass volleyball outside Jack's office. We were all surprised when Jack showed up one day in his shorts and T-shirt to play volleyball. We had a lot of fun playing together that day.
When we were doing the Dallas acquisition, a bunch of us were flying down to Dallas in a small jet. I commented to Jack that it would be nice if the interior of the jet was about 2" taller. His reply to me was "it would be cheaper to get a new vice president."
I had lunch with Jack at the end of October. He told me that he was feeling good and under far less stress. We talked about the economy, my family, his, and the economy in general. I will always value Jack's insight and intellect and I will miss him as a mentor and a friend.
- Rob Georges, Vice President, Employee #18, Maxim Integrated Products
Thank You Jack
This is a letter I have wanted to write since late 1999. I only wish I wrote it before Jack died.
Dear Jack,
I want to thank you sincerely for the gift you have given my family. In late 1999, my family was dealt news that profoundly changed our lives. My career at Maxim was going well and I enjoyed my work, management, and peers. At that time my second child, Emily, was born and without warning we were told that she had Down syndrome.
As my wife and I are both engineers, the first thing we did was to begin research into what we were dealing with. All things led to getting out of the big city and into a rural setting where services were geared toward inclusion. We decided that our only choice was to simplify, concentrate on family, and take life one day at a time, while we attempted to struggle as parents to give our child the best we could offer. We knew that moving away would require that we both quit our jobs and live on savings for the foreseeable future.
After my resignation, I was informed that you and Rob Georges developed a position that allowed me to continue working for Maxim while living in a place that catered to my daughter's needs.
Nine years later, with your graciousness and approval, I have a career and my daughter has become a person that is beating the odds and is on track to one day hopefully attend college and contribute to society. She plays baseball (and is a lefty!), skis, horseback rides and is one of the most prolific readers in her "normal" 3rd grade class.
None of this would have been possible had she not been provided the therapies and focused education offered to her. Thank you for the wonderful career and all that you provided for my family. You will forever be in our memories.
- Scott Colgrove, Senior Member Technical Staff
Heart and Legacy
Jack had a big heart. He fought for what he believed was right. He shared from the start. He cared for his employees. Jack loved baseball and winning. The force of Jack's belief and conviction was contagious to those around him. He left a legacy and we thank him.
- Larry Suppan, Director of Customer Applications, Communication and Timing Business Unit
A Letter to Jack
Dear Jack,
You have been a dear family friend for 35 years and I am fortunate to have known you since birth. In fact, I still have the silver baby brush you and Rhodine gave me as a gift. I want to thank you for the opportunities you have given me and my family. Not only did my parents instill a strong work ethic in me, you did too by giving me early opportunities as an intern during my college days at Maxim. Those internships made me smarter than my classroom peers because I had real experience. When it came time to interview for a permanent job, those experiences made me stand out among the rest. After an experience at HP, I decided Maxim was the place for me. Before your passing, you met my new son and we talked about your old street, the one I now live on. Each day when driving to work, I pass the house where you raised your daughters. Now when I pass your old home, my feelings have changed as I grieve your passing. It's an honor to have known and worked for you, but it's an even greater honor to have seen your endless compassion for all people. Thank you for believing in me and for being such a wonderful friend and mentor to my father.
Peace be with you.
- Becky Tanner (formerly Hood), Director, Marketing Communications
How Jack Gifford Changed My Life
When Jack retired in Dec 2006, I sent him the following message.
I wanted to send you a personal note to thank you for hiring me. You changed my life!
One of the reasons I came to Maxim was to work for a well-managed company. I had been at a startup. Its CEO was like a lot of small company CEOs — a visionary, very driven, extremely bright, but not a manager. As the company grew, management faltered and the company stumbled. Professionally, I needed to experience high-quality management and at Maxim, I have.
The second reason I am here is your commitment to the website. I have friends in Internet marketing and few companies are as committed to it as Maxim. They envy the job I have. When the Dallas webteam was in town last year, you agreed to meet with the web group — not just for the 15 minutes I requested, but for an hour. They all heard, loud and clear, how important they are to the company. I am very grateful for that meeting and for the seven years of unfailing commitment to what we're doing in our corner of the Maxim world.
The third reason is your commitment to having everyone, at all levels, think strategically. My team thrives on this! Other companies talk about strategy but don't encourage it at all levels the way we do.
But the most important reason I am here is the people. My uncle once told me that if you wonder what kind of person you are, look at the people around you. You should be very, very proud.
- Moe Rubenzahl, Executive Director of Internet Marketing
Jack's Unreasonable Demands
A few months after I joined Maxim, I learned two important things about Jack Gifford.
One was that he frequently made unreasonable demands. I recall one he made in a "Jack meeting" concerning the website. I was very new to Maxim. I looked around the room at the more experienced faces. Surely they knew—this was not just unreasonable, it was insane! No one was pointing out the irrationality! I pondered what to do. Maybe he would forget.
Then I started thinking about what we could do. That's when I learned the second thing about Jack Gifford: He was usually right. When I stopped thinking about the impossibility of what he wanted, I realized a possibility. It wasn't exactly what Jack had asked for, but it accomplished what he wanted.
Not only were we able to do it, it became a crucial part of our strategy and it's still in play.
I learned another thing, too: Accomplishing what Jack wanted was generally good business. Even today, I often ask myself what Jack would ask for. I hope that sometimes people think my demands are unreasonable.
- Moe Rubenzahl, Executive Director of Internet Marketing
A Letter to Jack
Dear Jack!
A lot of employees hear about you, the tough business person. We have heard so many stories of your kindness and were blessed to see you in person. Thanks Jack for your visit to Boston and having time with us personally in the lab. We were a fledgling group then and for 3 plus years, we had not generated revenue. You had the trust and wisdom in promoting our group, sustaining us during those tough times and see the success when you visited us again in 2007.
Respectfully, Kathir
- Kathir Krishnamurthi, Design Engineer
Jack's Commitment to Employees' Families
It was with shock and sadness that I learned of Jack's sudden death. Although I am not a Maxim employee, I have always felt a great connection to the broader Maxim family since I am married to an employee. Over the years, I have benefited a great deal from Jack's generosity and from his incredible business insight by having the opportunity to read many of his communications to employees. I especially remember the anniversary issue of the Maxim employee magazine which I read from cover to cover and kept as a keepsake for the future. Many years ago, we received product announcements in the mail about each new product that Maxim brought to market. I read every one we received and was always impressed by how well written these product briefs were and impressed by the company growth which they represented.
One of the things I always admired about Jack was his commitment to employees' families. On my birthday every year, I received flowers or a plant with birthday wishes from him. In the old days, these were just signed Jack. Only later, did they come from "Jack Gifford". I always loved getting these flowers on my birthday. The other thing that has especially touched our family year after year are the great Christmas buffets where the children are given presents. Each year our son had his picture taken with Santa Claus and the result is a collection of photos from Christmases past which we put on display each year. Although our son is too old now for presents, we go every year to enjoy the wonderful occasion. This year our son was 17 and he still posed with Santa. Some companies apply the definition of 'equal benefits' so stringently that something like the Maxim Christmas parties and the flowers would never have happened- because not everyone has children and not everyone is married with a spouse. I admire Jack for following his heart, it brought a great deal of happiness to our family.
Jack's outstanding business acumen and the wealth he created through the growth of Maxim have benefited countless people both within and outside of Maxim. Jack was and will always be one of the great iconic leaders of Silicon Valley.
- Lynn Forester, wife of Miles Gehm, Director-X3 Photo Engineering
Thank You
I met Jack in the summer of 2000 while visiting my brother who had a restaurant in Portola Valley. I found his enthusiasm for life, work, and yes, baseball very motivating. A true leader in every sense of the word. My interview took place over dinner - I just didn't know it at the time, and I didn't know who he was until later. The rest is history and I've never looked back. It was a privilege to have crossed his path.
- Larry Basegio, Senior Scientist
Jack - A Poem
Joined at the hip with Maxim, its founding father
Aim we will, he said, higher and higher
Armed with grit, an edict, principles to honor
Awe, respect, part comfort, part terror
Cared with passion for those world over
He called his brethren, expel no never
Kind at Heart, goodness that lasts forever
Grieve not, for within and without there is one, no other!
-Ani
- P. N. Anirudhan, Staff Design Engineer
Reflections of Jack
Jack Gifford was an exceptional, inspirational leader. We will miss him. Many of you never had a chance to meet or interact with him, which is truly a shame. His type of person doesn't come along all that often. One of our co-workers, Pratima Rao, had the foresight to preserve some of Jack's thoughts and direction and general commentary that he would often dispense in meetings. It was called the "Book of Jack," and really gave you a flavor of the person. He lived by the principles you see posted throughout the company. It was a privilege to know him, work with him to build this great company and share the dream. As a mentor, father, humanitarian, businessman and strategist there are few that could rival him. He made a difference. When I spoke to another co-worker about his passing they were concerned that he might have been scared as the end came. Anyone who knew Jack knows that in the end he faced his passing with the same fearlessness, courage and grace as he lived his life. This I know for sure.
- Kenneth Huening, Vice President
Only Hard Work
The thing that has followed me all through my 13y long career at Maxim is Jack's words when I joined him being interviewed by a Swedish journalist in UK around 1997. The journalist asked "...Jack, what's the magic formula behind your success......" Jack was silent and gave the question a lot of thought before he responded ".....there is no magic only hard work......"
- Anders Reisch, Executive Director, Maxim Scandinavia
A Tribute to Jack Gifford
When I interviewed with Maxim in 1994 the thing that impressed me most about this company was Jack Gifford's amazing business savvy and his passion for the success of the company and each and every employee. He had built something very special and placed incredible value on individuals. He believed the employees were the most valuable asset of the company and were what set us apart from our competition. He prided himself in his ability to build a world class management team and make engineers "productive citizens", stimulating the rapid growth of this company. Jack's drive, hard work ethic and enthusiasm for our business drove everyone to want to be the best that they could possibly be.
When I first started with Maxim my desk was located in an office area that was right next to Jack's corner office. It was a little intimidating for a new college grad to be seated so close to this charismatic, bigger than life individual. I would periodically over hear some heated exchanges and was always thankful I was not the sorry soul that came to his office unprepared. As tough as he was it was clear to me that Jack was a compassionate man that was always fair and just.
I have always admired and respected Jack and am grateful for how he has blessed my life and the lives of so many. Jack was truly one of a kind and will be greatly missed. My thoughts and prayers are with Jack's family, as well as his extended Maxim family and friends that were fortunate enough to have a long rich history with him.
- Rob D'Angelo, Manager, Test Systems Development
Remembering Jack
I have known Jack from the time I emigrated to California from Europe in 1965. I had transferred from Fairchild's European facility to Fairchild's main office in Mountain View. It was exciting days - the integrated circuit was becoming of age and was recognized to be one of the most important inventions of the mid 20th century. Both Jack and I were involved with analog integrated circuits at Fairchild - Jack in marketing and I in design. Ultimately Fairchild spawned many new semiconductor companies of which Intel has been the most successful.
Jack was one of the founders of AMD and I joined a small startup called Cermetec. Ultimately we both ended up at Intersil with Jack becoming president. Intersil was acquired by GE which was a mistake by GE because the sub culture of the semiconductor industry was vastly different from that of the heavy industrial giant GE and culture clashes occurred with Jack resigning. This gave Jack time to review his situation and think about the future. Having seen the mistakes of many he decided with strict financial controls and with a good business plan he stood a good chance of creating a successful major semiconductor company. I was fortunate to be asked to be a founder of that company Maxim. History has proven Jack right and Maxim is today a very successful and profitable major semiconductor company and I feel myself to be privileged to have been a member of the team.
What distinguished Jack from the many CEOs that were not successful? I think that there were several reasons. He had a vision and a plan for Maxim which he stuck to. In all the years I was at Maxim I never saw money wasted on fancy offices or anything that did not directly benefit Maxim. He also made sure he understood everything from finance, manufacturing, marketing, design etc. so that no matter what meeting he ever attended he understood the subject matter. In that manner no one was ever able to deceive him and get away with it. He had a remarkable understanding of the company.
All of you who are employees and us ex employees of Maxim have had our lives influenced by Jack for our betterment. I appreciate that and will always regard Jack with warm feelings. He was for me a companion for over 40 years. May Jack rest now in base ball heaven - the sport that has always been part of his life. In fact he almost became a professional base ball player. I am sure glad he didn't and instead became the president of Maxim. Thank you Jack.
- David Bingham, Founder
Letter from a Customer
I recently visited the Maxim Integrated Circuits website to locate a possible part number for a circuit that I am currently in the process of designing. It was a shock to realize from the front page of your website that the former CEO, Jack Gifford, had suddenly passed away earlier this week.
As a graduate student working on my Ph.D. degree at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Canada, I have had numerous opportunities to use Maxim products in the circuits that I have designed. Although I have ordered many Maxim products through distributors, the Maxim Student Sample Program provided a number of parts which I could not obtain from other sources. Many of the Maxim parts that I requested through the Student Sample Program have provided vital functionality to my circuits. It would be unthinkable to design a circuit without using at least a few Maxim parts.
I do not think that the unique and innovative parts offered by Maxim could have been produced without the guidance of Jack Gifford. Browsing the list of ethical suggestions posted under the company policy section of your website, it is evident that Jack Gifford was a distinctive CEO. The corporate policies listed on the website could serve as a list of good practice techniques for any company or academic institution. Obviously, the corporate culture which was cultivated by Jack Gifford was responsible for encouraging ideas and preventing the stifling of creativity.
Students benefited from the Maxim Student Sample Program because it provided an excellent training opportunity. While most other electronics companies will refuse to ship samples to students or other "non-qualified" customers, Maxim allowed for students to evaluate products in a similar fashion to "professional" engineers. This provided students with the opportunity to experiment. Although I cannot say that all of my experiments with Maxim parts ended with success, the access to this technology provided an excellent learning opportunity. Because of the Maxim Student Sample Program, I had the opportunity to learn many aspects of analog and digital design.
A few years ago during the summer of 2005, I contacted Maxim to inquire if it was possible to obtain an evaluation kit for a part listed on the website. In my e-mail, I happened to mention that I was a student. I received a reply back from Kevin Self, a senior applications engineer with Maxim. Remarkably, both Kevin Self and business manager Clayton Ware were willing to ship me the evaluation kit as a sample under the student program. They just sent it in the mail. I will never forget what they have done for me. At that time, I was an undergraduate student starting a graduate school Master's degree program.
When I received the kit, this was the first time that I had ever seen a professionally designed PCB set up to evaluate a product. The evaluation kit provided a unique learning opportunity, and I studied the circuit so that I would be able to incorporate some of its ideas into the circuits that I have since designed. This was also my first foray into the world of 16-bit microcontrollers, and I enjoyed it immensely. I had very little experience with microcontrollers before receiving the evaluation kit, and this provided an excellent learning opportunity.
I firmly believe that none of this would have occurred if Jack Gifford had not been the CEO of Maxim. Maxim plays a unique role in the analog and mixed-signal device market, and its absence from the global electronics industry would be sorely noticed. The guiding vision of Jack Gifford has provided excellent learning opportunities for students. He has also encouraged all of us to reach for something more than the mediocre.
Over the past few years, I thought that I would write a letter to Jack Gifford. The letter would have outlined many of the things that I mentioned in this posthumous tribute. I never wrote this letter. I wanted to postpone the writing of it until I had accomplished something that would, by virtue of its importance, demonstrate to him that I had created something exceedingly useful with his company's technology. Although I never knew Jack Gifford, I am certain that he would have read this letter. He would have probably written back to me. And he would have assured me that everything we do has some extraordinary aspects; and that success is not necessarily a destination, but just another landmark along this great journey that we are all forced to take—by virtue of our existence—across this varied landscape of life.
- Nicholas Kinar, Ph.D. Student, University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Just a Few of My Memories of Times with Jack
Jack was like a second father to me. In three of my positions here, and for about 15 years, I met with Jack almost weekly. Although many of those meetings were very tough, I realized quickly that the toughness was really just training. When I realized that fact I was able to appreciate Jack and his management style even more. When I worked in Test Operations with Rich Hood, eventually Jack began to trust the information we were providing to him and when we had a few good years of meetings with Jack, Rich Hood and I felt we were on roll. However, in the day of Jack, it did not take long to get "back to normal" with new lessons that were learned by complacency. Always lessons. Jack was always the teacher.
One thing that I consider about Jack is that he always thought of taking care of the people. He cared deeply for all the employees and their families. There are countless stories of how Jack took care of people with medical problems, not only by giving people the time to get well but also giving them doctors names that he knew, specialists and recommendations. Jack always, always took care of his people. He cared about us deeply.
My favorite trait, and the one that is endeared in my heart forever, is Jack's competitiveness in everything. I'll never forget the time Jack told me that his grandmother could design a golf club and in fact he could design one better than the one I had in the golf company I helped startup... right in front of the Board of Directors at a Hawaii meeting. I just smiled and told him that I bet he could!
I'll also never forget the time I told Jack about all the success I had as a younger man working on an Albacore Tuna boat. This also was in Hawaii and Jack just had to take me out fishing the next day in his boat to prove that he could catch some big fish. We were supposed to be out just for the morning but ended up staying out all day. We caught nothing. But his competitive nature would not let him end the fishing trip. He had to keep trying. I just smiled and sunned myself on the deck of his boat, refusing to get seasick in the 4-foot seas we were bouncing around in his 24' boat for 10 hours.
I'll also never forget the second time Jack took me fishing—when I was in Hawaii several years later on vacation with my wife. Misti and I had run into Jack and Rhodine at the Mauna Kea resort and they invited us over for drinks at their recently completed home. Jack designed his home and it is wonderful. He made the only vodka mai-tai that my wife will drink. Anyway, we talked about the ill-fated fishing trip years earlier and of course that led to "You want to go fishing tomorrow? I gotta show you how many fish we can catch!". Well, the "just a few hours" fishing trip turned into an all day affair again, with no luck on fish. Just Jack, me and his boat captain out on the seas, 12 miles out... no lunch and no fish either.... all day long.
These memories as well as many others are special to me. Emotionally, I have not let myself grieve for Jack's passing. I am in shock. I miss him. I don't want him to be gone.
Thank you Jack for creating Maxim. Thank you for creating this tremendous learning opportunity. Thank you for taking care of the people. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to succeed. Thank you for making us prosperous financially. Thank you for the lessons in life, business and sport.
- Kent Mazzia, Executive Director, Worldwide Test Services
Jack Story
I started at Maxim in 1994 and came over with the Tektronix ICO purchase. I have had a few interactions with Jack over the years and every time I have come away fired up to take on the world. As each of us can recall, Jack had the ability to get us motivated to do more than we thought possible. In fact, I have one of his quotes on my wall and I see it each day as I go in and out of my office: "Success is the result of hard work, courage and the occasional genius." This is so true and I try to live by that quote. Over the years, I have seen Jack's compassion and heart for the employees, which have amazed me: his willingness to pay the doctor expenses for medical treatments to extending the pay for long term disability.
I want to share my first time meeting Jack. It was in 1994 just before the shareholders meeting in Sunnyvale. I was sitting at a desk and Rich Hood was walking by with a BIG donut. He went by and then came back to the entry of the office. He stood there for a moment eating this thing and asked me if I had gotten my donut yet. I, being a new to Maxim, said no as I didn't know anything about the donuts before the shareholders meeting. Rich encouraged me to go to the room which was down the hall from me and get one. He said you won't miss it as there is a bat on the door that says "come in for a bite"! I, being much too naive to suspect anything, went down to the room, entered and saw boxes of donuts. Heaven on earth it was. As I opened the top of the box, I saw movement to my left and there sat Jack at his desk looking at me. I was in shock that I had just walked into the office of Jack Gifford, my CEO; I had started to rummage through a box and was in fact caught with my hand in the cookie jar so to speak. I felt the blood flood through my body and then leave as I started to stutter trying to explain to Jack how I got there and that I was an idiot for coming in. The words never came out. I closed the box and started to leave hoping he would forget my face. Jack then said at least grab one on your way out. I did so and went back to my office. I sat there looking at this chocolate donut, which I never ate, thinking my career at Maxim was over. Jack questioned me once, years later at a summer picnic, as to whether I had stopped stealing donuts.
In closing, I ask you these questions. Do you remember Jack's willingness to pay the expenses for anyone who volunteered to go to New Orleans and help with the recovery there? How about the year he asked us to give our $25 dollar turkey bucks to someone less fortunate? We all have been blessed by Jack's generous heart and love for his people. Yes, the sign on the door said come in for a bite, but you always left with more.
My prayers are with his family.
- Gurn Kelly, Director Test Data Services
In Memory of My Friend Jack
Forty-five years ago, I met Jack fresh out of UCLA and ready to conquer the world. We became business associates and friends the first day he joined Fairchild Semiconductor in 1964. Our relationship grew stronger as he progressed through Advanced Micro Devices, GE-Intersil, and Maxim.
We shared the highs and lows of all business challenges and successes.
I have never known a person so focused and committed to triumph. Set backs were acceptable, failure was never an option. When you climbed on board with Jack, you knew the outcome in advance. Conquered the world he did. More important, he shared his world with thousands and invited thousands more into his world. He truly cared for people and did all in his power to help improve others lives. I had the privilege to know, work with, work for, and be a friend of Jack Gifford. He cannot be replaced, he will be greatly missed, and he will always be remembered.
Wendy and I will always love Rhodine and Jack, our closest friends.
- Fred Beck, Founder
Jack
You have been a true inspiration for me to continuously strive to better myself, family, community, and Maxim. You are greatly missed.
- Andy Mrizek, Engineering Director, IC Development
Exemplary Generosity
When my son had cancer, Pirooz recommended that I tell Jack the situation. Jack had me talk to his own doctor who was able to recommend the top people in the field. When we had a fundraiser for a liver transplant group, he matched every dollar, not as a donation from Maxim, but from his personal account. I feel grateful to Jack in part for my son's current good health. I hope we can all learn a management lesson that he taught by example: take care of the people around you.
- Bill Maney, 20-Year Maxim Employee
I Have (My Son) Felix Thanks to the Success of the Company That Jack Built
Dear Rhodine and the rest of the Gifford family,
I never met Jack and can't believe I won't have the chance anymore. I wanted to thank him for making Maxim such a success and let him know what kind of lasting positive impact that success had on our family.
My husband, Jeroen Fonderie, started working for Maxim in 1998 and received stock options as part of his compensation package. In 2003, we found out that I needed IVF (=In Vitro Fertilization) treatment to have a shot at having a second child, preferably as soon as possible, because time was running out. IVF treatment is very expensive (about $14k per try), not covered by medical insurance, might not work, and pretty rotten to undergo. Taking out a big loan to pay for such a high stakes gamble, especially since we already had one child, would definitively have been out of the question. We didn't have to because the proceeds from the stock options were more than enough to cover the IVF treatment. And we got lucky on the third try; we're now blessed with a second son—his name is Felix (it means happy or lucky in Latin) because that pretty much describes how we feel about his being part of our family. We joked about naming him Maxim Stanford, out of gratitude (Stanford Hospital was where the IVF treatment took place).
Warm wishes for comfort in your grief,
- Fransien van den Berg, also on behalf of Jeroen Fonderie, Director, IC Design
Thanks Jack
I didn't interact much with Jack on work issues at Maxim or Intersil through the years. We did have conversations in the hall from time to time regarding various topics, including health and education. In these two areas in particular Jack was incredibly generous with my family. He provided medical insurance for us during a difficult period when I wasn't working and was very active in assisting my son with entering UCLA. Jack must have seen something because he graduated Summa Cum Laude. Thanks Jack.
- Bob Venticinque, Test Engineering Group
20 Year Letter to Jack
This letter I wrote to Jack in 2004 sums it up for me:
"Dear Jack,
Today I realized that last October was my 20th anniversary at Maxim!
I want to take this opportunity to thank you personally for all you have done for me, but more importantly for my family. Thanks to you, my wife and daughters are financially secure and since none of us are big spenders they are probably set for life.
I continue to enjoy the challenge at Maxim. Sure, there are ups and downs, but I�™m pretty resilient and the ups far outweigh the downs. You have been a tremendous mentor, not just for work but also for decisions I make in my personal life. You have promoted me multiple times over without me asking for it, many times to my surprise. I appreciate that you make the time to explain and reason with me.
Once again, thank you very much for the fruitful 20 years at Maxim! I look forward to many more years of learning from you."
Unfortunately, the last part was not to be...
- Tunç Doluca, Maxim President and CEO
Just Wondering
All of my friends have changed their jobs 5-6 times in the last 20 years. I have seen them getting nervous at the times of down economy. I never updated my resume and slept well without these worries.
Thank you, Jack. We will miss you.
- Kuldeep Kalonia, Executive Director
Chuck Rigg's Tribute to Jack Gifford (Memorial Service, January 22, 2009)
I never expected to have the opportunity to be standing at this podium. I must admit, Jack, that I don't necessarily appreciate the opportunity.
Hi, I'm Chuck Rigg.
I met Jack in the mid 70's when my wife, Jean, and her partner Roberta, fixed it so that I would represent his mother in a real estate litigation. Jack took a liking to me when I actually yelled at the opposing counsel at Jack's deposition. Kindred spirits.
Actually though, Jack liked me because I liked him. He used to say that one late night after dinner, I told him that I liked him. That, he said, is why he liked me. Apparently not everyone actually said that to him.
Jack was a great man - you don't find many of those.
e e cummings had it right:
"There are possibly 2 1/2 or impossibly 3
individuals every several fat
thousand years. Expecting more would be
neither fantastic nor pathological
but dumb."
Jack liked e e cummings, it seemed to calm him. I know because when I was reading e e cummings to him at my 50th, he went to sleep.
How many times do you meet a man that makes a difference, and you know it right then? Working for Jack was always an interesting task. He would demand more than seemed possible, even as a long shot. You felt like Alice, doing three impossible things before breakfast. If a stepper sold new for $7m and used for $2m he'd want it for $500k. If software sold for $5m he'd want it for $1.5, with extras. If there are any vendors out there, you know this. After a while of this, you began to realize that he was right, it was possible. Another amazing thing about Jack was his knack to come up with just the question that you could not answer at your presentation. After he asked it, you couldn't imagine how you had missed it. Jack was a teacher.
Jack made a difference. His father was a fighter. Jack was a fighter, but he was also a good man. He never faced a problem that he could not handle, by shear will power if necessary. If you had a problem, he would help you in every way possible and usually a few ways you didn't think possible. There is not a person here who didn't experience this, either directly or through a friend. It was his mission that if he knew you, you, and your family, would get the best care possible. For instance, after Katrina hit, Jack gave people time off and paid all their expenses as long as those resulted from their own efforts, if they wanted to help. Maxim spent more than $100k and thousands of man hours in that endeavor. Jack found a way to help and inspire. Probably the two things Jack did best.
Retirement: A few years ago, I decided to retire. Jack decided that was an occasion for a single malt at the Pub. After a couple of those, we decided that neither would retire without giving the other one year's notice. After all, what are you going to do when you retire? Jack was going to work forever. A couple years ago in December '06, Jack called Ed and me into his office. I'm going to announce my retirement next week he said. I said that's not a year. But he loved retirement. We used to play tennis. We were supposed to play last Monday. Since we played with pros, they're here, Tomas and Olga, Sandy, Mark and Matt, I called it mixed doubles. No offense ladies, but Jack and I were the girls. After one of these matches I asked Jack what else he had to do that day. "You know Charlie" he said, "I try to keep myself to two things a day." I said, "so, this was one, what's the other?" He said, "well, sometimes it's golf, sometimes it's a business meeting (he had a few things going, of course), a meeting with someone at Maxim (a lot of us still went to him for advice) or like today," he said, "a nap." Two things: mixed doubles and a nap. Not bad. Jack loved retirement, whoda guessed. Jack loved going to Hawaii. Jack loved going to Hawaii with Rhodine.
Rhodine: Jack was married to Rhodine shortly after he was born, he just didn't realize it until he was 18. I once remarked when I first came to Maxim that Jack was the fastest listener I'd ever known. But he listened to Rhodine, maybe having three daughters and a wife in the household taught him that. Maybe he was just a savvy guy. But he listened when Rhodine spoke.
Jack may not have been the easiest man to live with, but I can tell you he and Rhodine were the most lovey dovey teenagers I've seen in a long time, and that was in the last two years. I picture them that last warm evening sitting on the far edge of the lanai watching the sun set, waiting for the green, sipping a mai tai, holding hands.
Jack, I've worked with you, I've worked for you and I've even followed you. My 50th followed yours by three years. My 60th followed yours by three years. Jack, I'm telling you now, I'm done following. Love you and good bye.
- Chuck Rigg, Senior Vice President
More on Loyalty
It was in the middle of the summer some years ago. My wife was off in Italy, leaving me with kid duty. One of my staff members took ill in the middle of the night and was rushed to the hospital. I went to see him in the hospital early the next morning, and later that morning I told Jack about it. Next thing I know, Jack asked Don St. Clair to make a personal visit to the hospital. That entire day I received almost hourly phone calls from Jack asking me for updates. I vividly recall pushing a shopping cart through the isles of Lunardi's trying to gather dinner fixings with two small children running amuck all the while fielding phone calls from Jack and trying to get updates from the hospital in between. All turned out right in the end with the staff member making a full recovery, but I was really struck on just how far Jack would go for one his people.
On a more personal note, I have been with Maxim for almost 20 years and always had great respect for Jack. As anyone who attended meetings with Jack can attest, he was a man to be reckoned with. If you messed up, the best thing you could do for yourself was fess up and detail the action taken to prevent a recurrence. Trying to side-step the issue or "finger point" away from yourself was pure folly. Having said that, Jack was always very pragmatic; he said "there are basically two types of errors: errors of commission and errors of omission." Commission errors were those committed in the process of trying to accomplish something completely new. If demonstrated that you had thought the problem through, and came up with a plan that didn't happen to work, Jack was generally okay with this - not that he wouldn't pick apart your plan looking for omission errors. Omission errors, on the other hand -something you had overlooked - were totally unacceptable. While I didn't always agree with Jack's method for corrective action, having seen more than one Maximite perish under the flame-thrower that was Jack's temper, I always great respect for him.
Looking back at the things that I would classify as accomplishments in my time at Maxim the one that I have to say I hold highest was the sense that I got from Jack that I had earned at least a modicum of his respect too.
- Dana Davis, Executive Director, Applications Engineering
Remembering Jack with Gratitude, Respect and Affection
A Tribute to Jack
Prior to Maxim's founding in 1983, Jack and I had worked together for more than 15 years, both at Fairchild and at Intersil. We had become close friends and during those years I also developed huge respect for Jack's business acumen and determination to succeed. So when he called me in the spring of 1983 and asked if I'd like to help him start a new semiconductor company, there was not a moment's hesitation on my part. "Yes, when do we get started?" I responded. "Well, how about we meet with Fred (Beck) this afternoon at the coffee shop in Woodside," said Jack.
We had no funding, no business plan, no employees and no facility, but thanks to Jack's reputation in the industry, in the next 45 days we wrote a business plan, got the funding, brought the founding team on board, defined the first 15 products, and rented a facility. The rest, as they say, is history.
I doubt there is a single Maxim employee who doesn't acknowledge that the company's subsequent success, by no means guaranteed in the early years, is largely due to Jack's leadership. He defined the company culture, insisted on its integrity, and set an example by his own hard work, long hours, and dedication. His will to succeed was inspirational and drove us all to give our best.
He did this without ever losing sight of the personal side: Jack truly believed that Maxim employees are part of an extended family. The tributes collected on these pages contain numerous examples of situations where he reached out to help people at all levels in the company, often using his private funds. These deeds speak louder than any words about the kind of man Jack was.
For me, it is no exaggeration to say that Jack has had more impact on my life than anyone other than my immediate family. Over the last 43 years, Jack and I worked together, played together, laughed together, and on occasion yelled at each other, but his friendship and support has made my life richer in every sense of the word. I cannot imagine how things would have been had our paths never crossed. This makes it all the more painful to contemplate a future without him, but not a day will go by when I won't remember Jack with gratitude, respect and affection.
- Dave Fullagar, Founder
Jack
My thoughts and prayers go out to the Gifford family. My parents always told my brothers and myself that "it is better to give, than to receive.” Jack's generosity IS the true meaning of giving.
- Dottie McDermott, PT Tech
Be the Best That You Can Be
In the UK in 1988, we had failed to do a good job in attracting seminar attendees using the then-normal technique of getting our reps and distributors to find the customers. In defense of our poor performance, we attempted to explain to Jack that TI only ever managed to attract 500 attendees when hiring the "Talk of the Town," a major venue in London. We requested a budget for mailing and to create a mail list and proposed to equal TI's record with five regionally based venues.
I have never forgotten the first paragraph of his written reply: "Your proposal is unacceptable. Do not set your goals by the failures of other people. You don't in your private lives, you will not for Maxim."
If that was all it said then it would have set me looking for the job pages in Electronics Weekly, but he went on to propose how we could achieve the goal visiting customer by customer until it was achieved, and he made it the only priority of the team. He did agree on a small promotional budget.
Challenged by his logic, our response was a major activity to create a database of potential customers from the archive of our distributors and Maxim's advertising responses and a broad spectrum of geographically diverse seminars in hotel conference facilities that were greatly appreciated by smaller organizations in the countryside. Together with on-site seminars at larger customers, we easily beat TI's numbers. The thrill of reaching our 1000th delegate was wonderful. Even I got to present solo at a small motel just outside Exeter. He had unlocked our creativity and we suddenly realized the importance of meeting the target and that it was not impossible.
The moral of the tale is that Jack was able to release from people capabilities that went far beyond their self-belief. His statement in this letter has stuck with me ever since and has been a very valuable "MAXIM." I guess that, put another way, nothing is possible without belief. I know that my greatest challenge for Maxim was to convince distributors that they really could achieve the growth asked of them. Once you can give the goal credibility, the results can be astounding.
- Geoff Haynes, formerly Maxim's European Sales Manager
Jack and Self-Reliance
Rhodine and her family are grateful for all of your expressions of sympathy. Thank you for your thoughts, prayers, cards, letters, flowers, donations, love and presence here today at his celebration of life service.
As we all know, Jack was a very self-reliant man and as such at any moment he could demonstrate an immediate knowledge or interest in the topic at hand. What happened next was typically filled with passion. As each of us has been touched by one or many interactions with Jack, I want to welcome all of the following:
Husbands, Fathers, Grandfathers, Grandchildren, Competitors, Engineers, Farmers, Pilots, Bruins, Entrepreneurs, Businessman, Negotiators, Sales and Marketing Professionals, 1st basemen, Baseball Fans, Baseball players of all levels, Baseball Coaches, managers and owners, Red pen users, Poker players, Jack Daniels' drinkers, Fly Fisherman, Saltwater fishermen, BBQer’s, Car enthusiasts, Golfers, Tennis players, Physicians, Attorneys, Architects, Construction project managers, Americans, Motivators, Horse racing enthusiasts, Boxers, Yellow tablet users, Restauranteurs, German Shepherd Owners, Sages, Friends, Philanthropists, Law enforcement individuals, Workout and fitness enthusiasts, and finally teachers.
Jack was all of these and more.
- Kevin Lynch
I Didn't Know Jack
I did not know Jack. I am but one of the many engineers who use Maxim's products to perform my job. These products, a result of Jack's vision, enable so much to be accomplished in so many fields. Just think of the array of products that have been enabled. We all owe a debt of thanks and appreciation to Jack. The world could use more men like him, and I hope and pray that his influence on all of us, near and far, will continue to inspire and lead to great things. Godspeed Jack.
- Richard Streeter, Senior Engineer, Materials Technology,
QinetiQ North America, Technology Solutions Group, Foster-Miller, Inc.
Thoughts on Jack
Having been a part of Silicon Valley's success and watched Maxim through the years, I have always been impressed with the quality of the company and how the people I have met from Maxim have been so loyal and dedicated to its success. Having read the feelings of employees, friends and fellow founders, I understand the quality of the culture at MAXIM and the source if its inspiration. Jack was and will continue to be an example of how a business should be conducted. Thanks for sharing with the rest of us.
- Gregory Herrick, CPA
Thoughts on Jack
I pay my tribute to Jack Gifford, whose views have guided me to think in a different way in my professional field. I also extend my sympathy to all of his family, including Maxim Family members.
- Dipankar Chatterjee, DIGICONTROL, Kolkata, India
Touched by Jack
It was the year 2000. I was in the Intensive Care Unit of El Camino Hospital after being admitted through Emergency. The specialists did not know what was wrong with me. Barbara Robinson called. Barbara told me that Jack was sending his personal physician to look into my case. Dana Davis had told Jack that I was in the hospital. Jack's physician talked to the specialists, who were treating me. I still remember what one of the specialists said to me, "You must be a very important person with the company. Your CEO sent his physician to check on you." Thank you, Jack.
- Budge Ing, Director, Applications
My Hearty Condolences
I neither know about Mr. Jack to this moment, nor about the history of Maxim and its foundations, except that we are one of among hundreds of organizations who are depending in one way or the other on the engineering success of Maxim for our success. It has been great to associate with Maxim for the past six years and to rely on their support. One could easily calculate the personality of its leader from the company executives. As the saying goes, "The Captain is as good as his team."
At this moment, I just would like to convey my heartiest condolences at this difficult hour on behalf of my organization and radiate his spirit of leadership with our deeds.
- Hanumanthu Indrakanti, Project Manager, SARADA Consultants
Thoughts About Jack
Sadly, tonight I just found out that Jack Gifford died. He was a larger than life character and maybe someday they will write a book about him, so here are a few of my memories...
The Athletic Competitor:
The area where we played grass volleyball at lunch was right behind Jack's office. Jack had a fenced off outdoor area next to his office that I think he sat in sometimes. For many months we played and finally one day he came out and said he wanted to play, too! We played at a reasonably advanced level and having the CEO come out and challenge us to a match was quite a surprise. Jack partnered with Jeff Kirsten, and I had my usual partner, Krishnan. Boy, was Jack aggressive! He came storming up to the net on every point! He was in his 50s at the time and we were early 20s/30s. No matter! Jack kept up the furious pace for the entire match. At one point when I went for a spike, he flew under the net and smacked right into me pretty hard. Then he grunted at me. Kind of intimidating!
Marketing Guy?:
When I first joined Maxim, I didn't know much about Jack. I assumed he was some kind of MBA guy and not necessarily technical. One time, out of the blue, Jack sent out a memo asking for ANY business idea from ANYBODY. The idea didn't even have to involve chips. Fuzzy logic was all the rage in the industry and one of the business managers, Eric, asked me to partner with him to propose fuzzy logic control chips. I didn't know much about controls, but had read up quite a bit on fuzzy logic and figured I could wing it. We met with Jack and gave our spiel. At the end, Jack said, "You know I did my Masters' thesis on electronic control systems, and I'd like to ask you guys some detailed questions." Both of us were flabbergasted... We turned pretty red. We looked like total dopes because it turned out that Jack knew way more about control systems then either of us did, and I was supposed to be the technical guy!
Lab Surprise:
One time I was working in the lab and the door popped open. Jack came in and just started looking over my shoulder. The CEO! Breathing down my neck! Ahhh.... He didn't say anything to me and finally another guy asked Jack what was up (I was too scared to say anything). Jack replied, and I remember this vividly, "Just checking on the chickens."
Newton Chips:
The Apple Newton palmtop had just come out and there was quite a bit of buzz about it. We proposed building handwriting recognition chips for Newton-like products. My boss, Len, obtained a Newton and let me and some of the other guys play with it. We, of course, taught the Newton to recognize the handwritten word, FUC* (you know what the * stands for). In the big meeting, Jack signed his name and as his signature was notoriously illegible and his first name has four characters, the Newton promptly responded FUC*!!! So Jack said,"What the fuc*!," threw the thing down, and so much for handwriting chips...
- Roger Chen, Maximite, 1991-2001
Thoughts About Jack
Dear Jack and Rhodine,
It was 1993, at the annual Maxim party, people were milling around, visiting, enjoying the excitement of the evening. Since my husband, Richard, was an officer of the company, we were expected to sit at one of a few certain tables close to the stage. I looked around to see where Jack was sitting with Rhodine. The seat next to him on one side was empty, and he motioned to me to sit there next to him. An honor, I thought, somewhat nervously. Why me, out of all the others here? We had all heard about Jack's manner in some meetings at work-forceful and intimidating. The sign hanging on his door-"Come in for a bite."
But to me, Jack was always gentle. He made me feel at ease as we had dinner that night. All of a sudden, he fumbled with something in his pocket, and brought out a gold bracelet, asking what I thought of it. I said, "It's really beautiful, Jack." I assumed that he had it made as a gift for Rhodine. It said “Maxim” on it, but he said, “You're going to get one of these tonight.” It was the Maxim 10-year anniversary bracelet. Maxim. Jack's Maxim.
Thank you, Jack, for allowing our family to share in your dream. Thank you for lifting me up by saying that my job supporting my husband and family was just as honorable and important as any other job. Thank you for helping to instill a tremendous work ethic in everyone who has had the opportunity to know you and work with you.
Thank you for your contributions to the industry, to tens of thousands of families around the world, to schools, to individuals, and to the children that you have supported through athletic programs. You did so much more than most anyone could ever dream of doing. I hope you realized what a powerful role model you were, how highly people regarded you, and how grateful we were for you!
And, thank you, Rhodine, for your sacrifices, for supporting, loving and sharing this wonderful man with us for so many years.
The sun still shines; I sometimes wonder why, when we lose, on earth, someone like Jack Gifford.
We collectively mourn.
Sincerely,
Julie Hood
- Julie Hood
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