My friend, Greg

My friend, Greg, passed today at the age of 64. While he's been sick on and off for a month or so, it still hit like an absolute ton of bricks this morning. I've been getting texts from his son, also counted as one of my very good friends, for the last few days...updates that were good and bad. He was fighting like hell but the diagnosis came too late and they had to let him go this morning.

Greg was a mentor, friend, and for most of the last 15 years, made me feel like family. He was the owner of Greek Tony's Pizza in The Woodlands, where I worked for 4 or 5 years. I would spend untold hours after closing with just Greg and I, talking about whatever, drinking beers, etc. We also played soccer together for over a decade. He was there for my wedding, when I turned 30, and sent wonderful gifts when both of my children were born. When I'd visit, I'd see pics of my family on the walls there that he put up. He and his wife (a wonderful woman in her own right) made sure a menorah went out in the store on the first day of Hanukkah every year for me, even long after I left town.

This Friday, I get to go home and see a lot of old friends. I hope Greg's family realizes the rather large church they're having the service in might not be nearly big enough. The amount of lives Greg touched through Greek's, through soccer, through his sponsorship of the local little league, and from just being a great community person is unknown. There could be thousands at the service. I'm sure there will be a lot of tears but definitely a lot of laughs.

Thanks, Greg. It was an honor and a pleasure.

 

Thanks, everyone...

He franchised that one to a guy who ran it in the ground. That owner eventually changed the name when Greg quit providing him with dough (he made 100% of the dough for the Woodlands location and the ones that didn't make it in Spring (Kuykendahl, I-45 & 2920, and one on 1488).

 

They'll reopen Aug. 1st. It's the best pizza in the area (though I might be a little biased).