SENSORY JOURNAL 009: Legacy
•Posted on September 01 2024
Last week I lost my grandfather, the greatest man I have ever known, after 92 years of life. There are endless positive memories I could share about life with him - like how a wink from him could put you immediately at ease, his impeccable whistling he’d use to sing with the birds, his kinship with dogs and squirrels, the smell of his leather-lined Lexus and the sound of his dry working hands on the leather steering wheel, his practical jokes, his unmatched scrambled eggs, and his endless love for my grandmother. But this Labor Day weekend it felt fitting to honor him through his work which heavily inspired my own.
Though my business carries the name of my paternal grandfather (Burke), it truly carries the spirit of my maternal grandfather, James Robert (Bob) Schmank. After marrying my grandmother (a 72 year marriage!), and raising 5 children, my grandpa saw a Paint Store company was for sale in Cincinnati - Miller Bros Paint and Wallpaper Company. He had been a top salesman for Benjamin Moore paints for years and promised to sell their paint exclusively in these stores if they helped him invest in the business. Not to my surprise, they agreed, as my grandpa was the most loyal person ever and always true to his word.
With no higher education or business background, my grandparents bought the company in 1981, moved to Cincinnati, and grew it to 11 stores which they managed for years and eventually retired off of. I grew up spending days in the back of the flagship store, remembering the smell of paint and wallpaper, a smell that I will always love, and admiring the retail organization of all the hardware and paint supplies. To this day I love going into small hardware stores wherever I travel to inspect (dare I say, judge) their assortment and organization. I went back to visit that flagship store in Cincinnati a few years ago and a lot of memories rushed back. The man working there ended up telling us that my grandpa hired him 30+ years ago and was the greatest boss he ever had. I was lucky to have his example and pride in me when I started my own retail business.
My grandparents lived in a very different time and my struggles are not the same as their own, but there will always be ties that bind. I found an article in the LA Times from 1986 about GM, the nation’s largest auto maker at the time, pulling facilities out of the Midwest, including where my grandparents had their business.
That quote hit me hard as it feels so resonant to what is currently happening in our economy and with my business. It gives me inspiration to know my grandparents made it through, and though maybe not as large as it once was, the business still stands to this day.
If you’ve seen me in Burke painting over the years, you’ve seen me in moments of peace and gratitude. My grandpa passed along one of his Benjamin Moore sweatshirts to me a few years ago that you’ll likely find me wearing when painting. I’ve always felt closer to my him when I’m painting (and I always use Benjamin Moore paints!).
If you’ve seen me in Burke painting over the years, you’ve seen me in moments of peace and gratitude. My grandpa passed along one of his Benjamin Moore sweatshirts to me a few years ago that you’ll likely find me wearing when painting. I’ve always felt closer to my him when I’m painting (and I always use Benjamin Moore paints!).
Losing the most loving, gentle, funny, loyal, reliable, hardworking man I’ve known has left me thinking a lot about legacy. What will I leave behind in the work I’ve done and the lives I’ve touched? If you’re blessed to have grandparents for as long as I was, make time to pay them a visit. Spend some quality time with them and hug your loved ones tight. I can only hope to be remembered in the loving light that so many remember my grandfather in, and to carry a little of his legacy with me.
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