SAD DAY AT VINTAGEFANS.COM, GOODBYE KEVIN

A sad day unfolded this morning when the FedEx truck pulled up and I asked "where is Kevin (Khaled) today, is he sick?" The driver replied, no “he was killed last night by a drunk driver that hit him head on when he was taking packages to Irving.” Feeling numb and in total shock, I told the driver that Kevin had just picked up 5 packages yesterday afternoon when I called him to see if he could swing back by so they could go out on Monday. As always in his cheery voice he said, "Mark, for you anything", when I asked “Kevin we have one Express that needs to go to Hawaii, can you drop it off he said “Absolutely, no problem, I will hand it off to the Express guy, we always exchange at a mutual pickup” “I will be there around 3 pm, is that OK Mark” I replied that was fine and thanked him for running back by the shop. I missed seeing my friend one last time by about 20 minutes as I had ran an errand to pick up an oxygen tank needed for our acetylene welder, but when I returned, Kevin had already picked up the packages. As the FedEx replacement driver left, the reality of it all finally hit. Kevin was gone. How tragic for his wife and young family. As the day progressed I tried to concentrate on our activities and present a positive, pleasant demeanor when talking with our clients and vendors, but my mind kept going back to Kevin’s tragic encounter with an intoxicated driver. I decided I would write this note in tribute to his life as we knew it in a business relationship and try to convey the person we knew for those of you out there that are reading this.

Kevin (Khaled) was one who always had a smile on his face, a positive attitude and his customer service should be recorded in a manual for FedEx employees and other businesses alike. On Mondays when we saw Kevin, he would always jump out the truck and enthusiastically shake my hand and ask, “How was your weekend” and he always beamed proudly with joy when I asked about his wife and baby. It is a sad fact of life that some lives are extinguished in their prime, especially by those who have little regard for the law or responsibility and unfortunately, such was the case when our friend Kevin crossed paths with such a careless soul last night. Our prayers and thoughts go out to his family and friends for their tremendous loss. Please know that Kevin made a difference in the work that he did, he made our lives brighter by knowing him and our business relationship a fruitful one, because of his unquestionable work ethic. I would have hired him in a New York minute. I am sure he touched every life that he encountered in every facet of his life with equal enthusiasm. He will be greatly missed by us all here at VintageFans.com. You can read the story at WFAA.com and watch the video Channel 8 News Dallas featured on its newscast.