Drew Loschke

Jeremy,

Found myself quite choked up about this. Not sure if it was the passing of a legend or the distance I've been able to place between myself and death; I imagine it was a combination of both. I started at DSS without a clue as to what I was doing, thankfully you had a plan for me that has greatly affected my life. The entire DSS family has contributed to me not amounting to a complete failure and for that I am ever grateful. I definitely owe much to Dan Mayo.

I ended up sitting in Dan's office while he and were gone to Daytona. He was as confused as I was upon his return because neither of us had met. I distinctly remember him wearing his pseudo-velvet maroon turtle-neck when he returned and thinking that it was quite comical attire, I'm sure he felt that way about my jeans. He would eventually crack jokes at the acrobatics it must have taken to get into them.

In the beginning, and quite possibly the end, I was very lost in the whole spectacle of the production world and how everything worked. I'm quite sure there were many times where my questions and/or requests/pleas for help were rather bemusing to him, but he was never condescending. Did he poke fun? Yes, as many would and it was rightfully deserved, but I could always count on him to help me and truly teach me. It was not burdensome for him to do so, but he was happy to show me the way and to go the extra distance to make sure I fully understood.

I had a conversation the other day with Goolsby about a few people he was very close with and how amazing it was the extent in which he effected their lives. The more we dug into the conversation we realized that we were among this group and that it consistently grew the more we talked about it. Dan had a way of taking anyone and everyone around him under his wing. He was not a "know-it-all" he just so happened to know-it-all, like nobody else I've ever come in contact with. He did it from the heart and with great joy.

As it has been said by many, he could do anything and most times he did and he loved it. I can't tell you how much I believe he loved his job and more importantly the people he worked with. Countless times he was the last person at the office working away. I think he did it because he loved it more than anything else he could possibly be doing. The entire job outlook for him, if I had to guess, was that this was his puzzle, his Erector Set and he wanted to take what was given to him and see how much better he could make it. I believe he always found a way to make it better, whether that was with a stage-design or with a person.

DSS, the production industry and anyone that knew Dan lost a great man. I am truly saddened and he will be greatly missed.

With Deepest Regrets,



Drew Loschke