Beautiful Grief: A Father and Daughter's Brutally Honest Walk with Death

This is for my friend Tony Rose, one of the best people I ever met. When you consider I have 5,000+ executives in my Rolodex, and crossed paths with 200,000 executives over the last 20 years, that is a pretty bold statement. Tony and his daughter Katie have published, “Beautiful Grief: A Father and Daughter's Brutally Honest Walk with Death” in honor of Jonny Rose, Tony’s Son and Katie’s Brother. Grief is a tough topic, especially for those of us that have lost loved ones, and that is almost everyone. They say losing a child is the hardest moment in life. Worse than divorce or going broke. We are not meant to outlive our children. “Beautiful Grief” is available on Amazon – highly recommended. 

Meet Tony Rose – I met Tony 15 years ago when I started my Executive Recruiting business. He came to one of my client mixer at the House of Blues West Hollywood with Newport Beach Attorney/Entrepreneur Jeffrey Marks. In a world of people that only call you to ask for a favor, Tony was always willing to put first skin in the game. In the land of the self-absorbed and self-centered, Tony is one in a million. Always looking for ways to help others. His favorite question is, “How can I help you.” Given we share a mutual passion for charity and giving back, it was not surprising that we bonded instantly.  If I list my Top 10 people on the planet, Tony makes that list. 

Lessons in Grief – My Mother, Father and Sister passed away when I was young. My Mom from a heart attack at 64. As my wonderful friend Dr. Jerry Boyers once said, “If something is going to get you, it will probably be your heart.” Lesson learned. My Primary Care Doctor for the last 10 years is a Cardiologist and I get twice a year check-ups. At 74 my Dad got the flu, waited too long to see a Doctor, and died of pneumonia. The last to check out was my Sister, who drank herself to death at 40. Pneumonia brought on by acute alcoholism. Make no mistake, alcohol abuse kills. In addition to my Sister, I can rattle off a dozen casino executives that died of alcoholism. At 45 my entire family was gone. 

Adam’s Place – My friend Kelly Boyers started Adam’s Place after losing her son Adam, age 21, in a car crash. Adam’s Place provides grief support groups for children, teens and families. In a safe and confidential home life setting, group members discuss and share activities with others who share similar life changing experiences. You can find out more about Adam’s Place at https://adamsplacelv.org/. 

Buy the Book! – Being honest, I was not looking forward to reading Beautiful Grief. First, because of my personal relationship with grief. Second, it’s a somber and sobering topic. Finished reading it in two days, and I must say, “Buy the book!” Katie is mature far beyond her years. Tony’s advice is both comforting and highly personal. And most of all, it’s honest. Like I said, Tony is one of the best guys I ever met!