We lost someone special. His name is Steve. He passed just two weeks before his 80th birthday. Steve Noroian made an impact on pretty much all he encountered. He joined our firm five years ago. Steve instantly became a mentor to me. He was much more than just a guy named Steve.
Live life. Make a difference. Work hard. Push yourself. Push others. Take risks. Make mistakes. Listen. Learn. Laugh. Be honest. Look out for people. Steve did.
Steve was old school. He was a stock picker. He was an investor. He was competitive. He was a long-term thinker. Today’s environment is different. Experience isn’t always respected. Patience and perspective are often shunned. The Digital Age is all about instant results. Some are never satisfied. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side of the fence he’d say. The grass was always green at Steve’s.
We made a point of having monthly lunch sessions. Towards the end, it was once every three. We talked Market. We talked Niners. We talked family. We always laughed. At our last meeting he was joyfully strumming his ukulele. Apparently, he had three ukuleles. He said he’s glad he wasn’t dealing with this “crazy Market.” He said he preferred it be me. I said, thanks Steve. Then we laughed again.
Steve was a family guy. That’s what mattered most. His two daughters and four grandkids think the world of him. The world was lucky to have Steve.
This guy named Steve put a train in his backyard. A real, full-sized train. Well, it’s a Santa Fe caboose. But who does that? Steve did.
After decades of success navigating markets, Steve looked for a successor for his firm. He had many suitors that wanted him. After a lengthy search, Steve picked us. I will forever be honored for this fact. This guy named Steve picked us.
There hasn’t been a day gone by I haven’t thought of him. There won’t be any ahead either. But I smile and take comfort knowing he’s in a better place now. I also know that he will be with me forever. I truly hope that you know or knew a guy like Steve. I am so grateful that I knew this guy named Steve.
Have a nice three day weekend. The Market will be closed on Monday, in honor of Labor Day. We’ll be back, dark and early on Tuesday.
Mike
