From Alysa Correll Clark

I was so very saddened to hear of Steve’s passing. I worked as Sheldon’s assistant for several years in the early 90s, and also worked alongside Cynthia to help her as she assisted Steve.

Steve was a good man. He was a brilliant businessman, always five steps ahead of everyone else - both his competitors and his colleagues alike. He was a visionary leader and a problem-solver extraordinaire. I remember often watching him as he was processing information and without skipping a beat he would come up with Plans A, B, C and D. He could anticipate the ramifications of each action and reaction. He knew how to make things happen.

As busy as he was, he would take the time to look you in the eye when he asked you how you were, and as you responded, he would listen and engage in the conversation. And if you worked hard for him, you were rewarded and trusted. I remember seeing him at Cynthia's mother's funeral a few years back and I was so very proud of him for taking time out of his incredibly busy schedule to go to his faithful secretary's mother's funeral … to show support for her. That, to me, spoke volumes. He recognized the loyalty Cynthia had shown him, and his family, for decades, and he was willing to put aside “the pressing deal” to simply be there during significant loss in her life.

On a much lighter note, I remember being terrified of him when I first started working there. Absolutely terrified. Not so much of who he was, but of his demanding presence in the workplace. He had very high expectations for those working around him. I was 21, right out of college, and had never been in the professional world. But I worked hard and Cynthia loved me and trusted me and because of that, he trusted me, too. I remember the first time Cynthia was on vacation and I was filling in for her. I was sick to my stomach just wondering when I'd receive the first of a million phone calls from Steve that day - he was in New York at the time. His words were sparse. His voice was fast. He wasn’t a hand-holder. He expected you to get the gist of what he needed and run with it. And he needed the moon - coordinate drivers and hotels and luncheons, oh, and first class upgrades on the flight home. He didn’t really care if the plane was sold out – he needed a seat on the flight and he needed that seat to be in First Class! Somehow [I’m thinking divine intervention] I made it through that day and when he got into the office the next morning he said to me, with his usual smile, "Thanks for your help yesterday, Alysa. You did a great job!" Whew. Talk about a relief … and a confidence booster … and did I mention, relief?He was a very good man. It's so sad that he's gone. So very sad.

My deepest sympathy to Jami and the boys. And to Shelly and Suzi. And of course, to sweet Cynthia and Alan and Michael Fine and Bruce and the others that I worked with so many years ago.

Sincerely,

Alysa Correll Clark