Jordan Diemer
Com-345
Tribute Speech
Good evening. For those of you who are not familiar with me, I am Jordan Diemer. We are gathered here this evening to celebrate the retirement of a man who is very near and dear to my heart, my father Marc Diemer. My Dad is and always has been an extremely determined man. This aspect of my father’s character has been instilled in me either genetically, trough direct observation, (or through repeated “beatings”) over the years. Either way, my father has had a dramatic impact on my life.
My Dad grew up in Alton Illinois with his parents, a brother and a sister. Since his family was not the wealthiest family on the block, when my father wanted something in life he had to work for it. He had to walk to and from school (up hill both ways of course) and when he was not in school; he was working at the Owens Illinois Factory making glass (or as he called it, child labor). At a young age, my father’s parents instilled a strong work ethic in him. They always taught him to “do it right, do it once[1].” This has carried over to me in the area of “measuring twice cutting once.” I am sure some of you can relate to “measuring once cutting twice[2].”
Anyway, having the “do it yourself upbringing,” my father naturally had to put himself through college when he made the decision to go to the University of Missouri. When he came home for the summer he was required to work construction in order to pay for college. When it came time to graduate college, my father was prepared to go out into the real world and make something of himself. He was educated, he was informed, he was experienced and he was worldly, aspects which make up any good man[3]. In 1976 may father got into his Chevy Nova with $20 in his pocket, charged his friend to ride with him, and drove straight to North Carolina where he entered into a sales rep agency that his brother was starting. Both being very determined men they naturally created quite a business.
Having a tough upbringing caused my father to appreciate life and the things in it. He always told me to “do unto others, as you would have them do unto you,[4]” And if you do, “what goes around will come around[5].” Having worked hard his whole life, my father wanted to pass these aspects of his character onto me. My father always pushed me very hard to be the best at whatever I did. He always told me that “he did not care what I did; he just wanted me to do it well[6].” This taught me the importance of hard work and dedication, something I would not have known if it were not for my Dad. He was always presenting me with challenges. Some of which he ended up on the losing end of the stick. Like the time he told me he would pay me 5 cents for every piece of Christmas tree tensile I picked up between the front door and the alley way. Well I put the tensile on and I like a lot of tensile. So this challenge cost my dad $50 when I was ten. Or like the time he challenged me to find his dream car a 1970 Oldsmobile 442 w-30 that he thought was impossible. Unbeknownst to him there was a thing called the internet and I found the car in two weeks flat.
On a serious note however, the challenges have continued, in school, in work, and in general life; so when my father came to me and asked if I would take over the company I knew he felt that I was ready to be a “leader amongst leaders[7].” So as we get ready to say good bye to our leader and challenger, it is with great pleasure that I solute my father Marc Diemer for being the best teacher, leader, and over all influence in my life. I hope all of you feel the same way. You have worked hard Dad, now it is time to relax, and enjoy, the best years are to come! Salud!