In Memoriam - William Glenn Hicks 1949-2021

I wrote the following to eulogize my father, who recently died after a short battle with kidney cancer. He was a monumental figure in my life, like most fathers are to their sons. He was my earliest example of work ethic and the greatest influence on my development into the professional and man I am today.

My dad passed away Tuesday, September 7th.??When someone passes, it’s tempting to memorialize that person as a pillar of perfection, without fault or complexity.??As I reflect on my relationship with my father, it wasn’t that simple.??We had good times and bad.??He was a figure of towering virtue at times, but also said and did things that he regretted.

Glenn Hicks was a contradictory man of immense character and personality.??He spoke his true feelings, fiercely defending what he believed was right.??He was charitable with his time and consistently devoted to helping others, especially his friends and fellow veterans.??But he could cut you to the bone with a harsh critique, and was cavalier with the feelings of others.??He always did what he said he would do.??He abhorred lying, and was repulsed by theft and deception.??His work ethic was impeccable, but he was a serial procrastinator.

Glenn Hicks taught me how to be a man.??Both through his successes and his failures.??I was his only child, but he guarded carefully against providing any material item that could result in spoiling or entitlement.??He was a remarkable provider.??Not due to the amount he provided, but because of his relentless drive to battle through any adversity that stood in the way of what his family needed.??He worked 17 years at General Electric, proving his loyalty and dedication.??Unfortunately, under “Neutron Jack” Welch, his livelihood and pride were ripped away like so many other Baby Boomer corporate employees as the economy changed in the 1990s.??The rest of his career was a struggle, requiring constant reinvention.??Perseverance was a necessity.??My dad battled his way to retirement, surviving a gauntlet of terrible employers and middle managers for the next half of his career.??He lived modestly and save diligently every step of the way.??In the end, he achieved something I’ve rarely seen: early retirement on his own terms.

Glenn Hicks was born in San Francisco, California, in 1949 to Heston and Maxine Hicks.??He had an older sister, Carolyn, as well.??Early life was not easy.??His family was a military family, moving frequently.??My dad’s early years were spent in Japan until his father’s alcoholism and abuse drove his mother to divorce and move back to the US.??This next childhood period was traumatic and formative in many ways for my father.??He experienced poverty and hunger.??But he was introduced to the person he would consider to be his real father, Dock Birdsong, when his mother remarried.??My dad idolized his step-father.??He spoke of Dock with reverence and admiration.??The values of honesty and integrity that I witnessed from my father growing up were modeled after Dock Birdsong.??I believe the conflicting forces of early hardship followed by the support of a reliable, high integrity father figure, formed my dad into the complicated man he eventually became.

Glenn Hicks was my role model.??I admired him with my whole heart and mind as a young child.??We would watch the nightly news together and talk about the depravity of American politics.??I would watch my dad help those in need and thought he was mentally and physically the strongest person I knew.??I would also watch him explode in outrage at strangers in public, unafraid to assert what he believed to be right and true.??No one ever took advantage of my dad.??He wouldn’t allow it.??My father suffered no fools, and would defend his honor at the drop of a hat.??As I’m sure my friends and colleagues can attest, Glenn Hicks taught me to stand up for my beliefs and be forceful with my principles.??I learned tact from my mother, but I learned conviction from my father.

Glenn Hicks taught me how to handle mercurial people.??My dad was a man of emotional polarity.??He could be the life of a party, effusive with stories, charisma, and charm.??He could also be aggressive, critical, and full of rage.??He could start a conversation in a grocery store with a stranger just as easily as he could escalate casual disagreement into full scale conflict.??I can feel his influence in business development and sales situations.??I also feel his influence when I’m angered by obstinance, deception, and all manner of corruption.??Living with a person guided by his emotions and passions gave me the experience to handle this same type of volatility in school and work.??It also provided the example I needed to channel my energy into leading and connecting with others.

Glenn Hicks taught me the meaning of tenacity.??My dad struggled with anxiety and depression at times, but he never let any situation or person defeat him.??No matter how upset or unmatched he felt, he always fought the good fight and pushed ahead for himself and his family.??Resilience is not common in today’s world.??I was always very proud to witness this rare trait exemplified by my father.??I strive today to provide this example to my children as well.??I want my boys to see how a man behaves when life gets difficult.??I want them to take responsibility for their actions, stand up for what’s right, and take economic responsibility for their family when the inevitable hardships of this world enter their life.

My dad told me at times that he regretted some of his actions and behaviors as I grew up.??He wished in recent years that he had been more present, more loving, more forgiving with his family.??But he modeled through his words and deeds how he wanted his legacy to be remembered.??He asked me to spend less than I make, save for retirement, and be the example of a provider that he was.??And above all, he wanted what all fathers want for their sons: become an honorable contributor to society.??My dad wanted his son to retain a lifetime of his lessons, while avoiding the same flaws and mistakes that became his regrets.

Rest in peace William Glenn Hicks.??Every day I will honor your memory by striving to be the man you wanted me to be.

My dad didn't want a service or flowers, but did ask for donations to be made in his memory to St. Jude Children's Hospital: