June – Just the Light

In 1983 Michele and I met at the City of San Diego as co-consultants in the Organization Effectiveness Program. We worked so well together that our “boss” Trudy Sopp assigned us together on every project. In 1988 Gary Winters, an internal for General Dynamics, hired us to do team building for his division. “Mike” and I used this as an opportunity to leave the City and start our own consulting practice named Reid-Moomuagh and Associates. (I got to have my name first, she was the President!)

We thrived as a partnership as we broadened our scope nation-wide. She even did some excellent work internationally. Above all we learned to trust each other totally and to keep a balance of “win-win” in all we did.

We were the best of friends and traveled extensively in Europe as well as the United States. Many of our clients thought we were married because of the way we teased and sometimes mildly bickered with each other. We were the closest of friends, and our time together vastly exceeded either of my marriages in terms of openness, fun, and hard work. Yet it was always platonic (that is why it worked).

Her role and support as a partner made me a much better person, and her views of the world had a tremendous impact on my thinking about diversity, women’s roles, and different personality styles. Her love of life, her great humanity, and her total acceptance of me and others were shining traits.

Michele married Ed Brewer in the mid-90’s and they moved to both Pennsylvania and then to Baja; however our partnership continued up to about 3 years ago when we shut it down formally. Some co-consulting continued into last year.

The world has lost a dynamite woman who touched hundreds of friends. Her life has been tragic the past couple of years: her Father died last year and her 45 year old daughter just died this year. Her husband’s 30 year old son is terminally ill. My heart goes out to Ed (her husband) and to her son Jeff who have to bear so much.

I will miss her forever, yet I am a blessed and fuller person for having been in her life.