Library
Dear Family,
My remembrance of Don is that he accomplished many monumental tasks and projects during his 30 plus years at the Robert E. Speer and Henry Luce III and now the Seminary Library of Princeton Seminary. He was so driven and focused and the results were always above and beyond the expectations. ++++ In my own experience with him, I knew if he asked me to do something - and it wasn't that often - I needed to do it right away because he would return to my desk promptly in 15 minutes or so and politely ask me If I was able to manage his request. I never wanted to tell him "no" so I did it right away.++++Once at a potluck lunch I had asked the staff to submit a statement about themselves that no one else knew about them. Each staff member would select the person they thought fit the statement. I knew the answers because I typed up the sheet. Don's statement was, "I once jumped over two horses." Wow! I was trying to imagine how he would do that? Maybe he was a stunt man in a previous life?? No one guessed his statement and when asked, "...really, you jumped over two horses?" He smiled and said, "Why yes, I did - two saw horses." None of us were expecting that answer and we laughed at ourselves. ++++ Another remembrance was at Christmas. For a while, the staff indulged me and my THEME trees. When we chose 'Chrismons', (Christ's Monograms-A Lutheran tradition.) I purchased the supplies, left instructions and sent the request to the staff to please make one for the tree. I honestly did not expect that Don would do this. He was so busy and never took lunch or a break that I knew about and it was such a trivial task; however, to my surprise he did make one. I was very surprised and thanked him for taking the time to do it. He replied, "I was just doing what you asked me to do." He was never above any task and tackled the Chrismon project with the same tenacity that he did for all projects.++++ One more!! I remember on the dedication day of the Henry Luce III library he worked right alongside our facilities and library staff unwrapping furniture and moving it into place. He did actually shed his jacket that day and rolled up his shirt sleeves. Don always wore a suit, white shirt and tie and a matching pocket square in the breast pocket.++++ He was so respected by the library staff and the reputation of his library work went beyond Princeton to other parts of the world.++++In closing, I would quote one of my former library colleagues as she remember countless times he spelled his name over the phone saying, "Don Vorp, V as in victor o-r P as in Peter.++++I will always feel blessed for having crossed paths with him in my life journey.++++My sincere condolences, donnapotts
Posted by Donna Potts
Tuesday August 9, 2016 at 4:17 pm