TALKBACK

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IN Memoriam

Gerald Eugene Ort, Sr., 85, owner of Ort Lumber, New London, Wi., died Oct. 25.

He entered the business in the early 1950s as a truck driver and a few years later, in 1954, started a portable mill. He opened his first sawmill, Ort Lumber, in 1968. In 1982, he and his four older sons founded Wolf River Lumber, New London, and in the 1990s they built Wittenberg Hardwoods, Wittenberg, Wi., and acquired Tigerton Lumber Co., Tigerton, Wi.; Aacer Flooring, Peshtigo, Wi.; and 50,000 acres of timberland.

George A. Weaver, 73, retired sales manager for Robbins Lumber, Searsmont, Me., passed away Oct. 25.

A veteran of the Vietnam War, he saw heavy action as a tank commander and was wounded more than once. Fresh out of the service, Weaver met Jim Robbins Sr. playing Town Team Baseball in 1969 and was offered a job at the mill. He started in the planing mill, and worked his way up through the company as a forklift operator, truck driver, and other jobs until he was made sales manager, where he remained for the majority of his 42-year career. He retired in 2011.

Weaver previously served on the board of the Northeastern Retail Lumber Association.

James Carnett “Jim” McGhin, 67, sales manager for D.S. Smith/RB Lumber, Riceboro, Ga., died Oct. 3.

He came out of retirement to join the Riceboro operation 13 years ago, after serving as sales manager with Union Camp and International Paper, Savannah, Ga.

Hilmar J. Flugrath, 88, former owner of Handy Corner Lumber Co., New Braunfels, Tx., died Oct. 16.

He operated his lumberyard in New Braunfels for 30 years before relocating it to Sattler, Tx.

Simon Lecours, former national inspector for the National Hardwood Lumber Association, Memphis, Tn., died Nov. 3.

Based in Canada, he served as NHLA national inspector from 2007 to 2015.

TALK Back

KEEP UP, NOT DOWN

Patrick, thanks for the perspective in this month’s “Across the Board” (“It’s Easy to Get Down,” Nov. p. 8). Over the past few years in our world we had our business destroyed by a hurricane in 2018, we watched a good chunk of the prosperous economy go by as we rebuilt, and then we experienced our national reaction to COVID-19. We are worn out!

Every morning when I leave for work there is a group of older ladies who walk for exercise. I’m no spring chick, but they all seem to get a rise when I roll down my window and cheer them on as I pass by. One of these ladies posts a sign in her yard for the opposite candidate I choose to support. This morning I rolled down my window to compliment her on the post-hurricane rebuild of her home and yard, which is now nearing completion. It is the first time I have had an opportunity to speak with her and I could tell that she is a kind person and someone who I could actually enjoy visiting and getting to know.

Instead of being put off by her politics and her being put off by my own, wouldn’t it be nice if we could just communicate as civil human beings? Maybe we could each gain an appreciation of the other’s perspective through civil dialogue. Better yet, maybe we would not even talk about politics and we could just appreciate each other as human beings. I am going to try because, as you say, all the world’s troubles will still be here tomorrow. Furthermore, you and I both know there are only so many tomorrows and phases of life we should be present to savor.

Edward A. San Juan

President

E.F. San Juan, Inc.

Youngstown, Fl.

I especially enjoyed your article “It’s Easy to Get Down” in November’s issue of BPD. I spent almost 40 years in our industry, in executive management with Ace, Do it Best, and True Value. I retired just in time to see COVID grip our country. It is good to have someone remind us of all that we have to be thankful for especially at this time of the year. Keep up the good work.

Rick Johnson

Retired