But John didn't stop there. Over the years he constantly thought about how to improve results, whether in the area of product, enrollment and enrollment systems, or support processes. Every time we had a discussion, he asked questions and probed, always looking for insights and input that might help him find an edge.

He constantly analyzed the business and how it works, never sitting still, never resting on laurels. After an hour's discussion with John you would feel like you had just spent a day in an intense seminar, mentally drained, while he would proceed to sit down with another person and ask them questions, repeating the cycle. John had insatiable curiosity. When you combine that with his unstoppable drive, you start to see why he was a terrific role model.

A bit over a year ago, John asked me to read an essay he had written about the future of the worksite business. He wrote a handwritten note to me asking for my insights. He called me as a follow-up because he valued my opinion. It's hard to describe how this made me feel—to me it was the equivalent of having Warren Buffet call to ask me what I thought might be good investments.

John challenged his team and the business associates he worked with to strive to excel. And he believed in the voluntary business. The final sentence of his note to me was, “Worksite definitely has a bright future.” Amen.