Art Rocks!!
When I stayed at the Yacht Club for a work training last March, I was flying through the Beach Club lobby on my way to Epcot and I heard, "Hey there young man, are you too busy to say hello to an old friend?". I turned around and it was Art. I ran over gave him a hug and he said, "So where are your lovely wife and children?" I was shocked. He rememberd my wife, son and daughter from our previous trip a year earlier. Now this is a man who has met thousands of people in his role yet he actually remembered not only me but my wife and kids as well.
I had made a point each day during our trip that previous year for the family to stop and say hello to him each and every time we saw him and I guess that may have made an impression. I was back with the family last April, though we spent that trip at an offisite time share that my in-laws purchased (never, ever again!) and we spent a lot of time at the Beach Club at the Cape May, Beaches and Cream and the Yachtman Steakhouse. We saw Art there twice during our trip. The last time we saw him he was busy helping another family with something and I didn't go up to him since he was busy. I figured we would see him on our way out of the Cape May. When we were done eating he was gone.
That was our last time back to the Beach Club that trip and after hearing that he had retired a few months after that I felt just awful that I never got a chance to say goodbye and thank him for all the wonderful memories he added to our trips just by his presence and the kindness he showed to my family and I. I wish I had taken the time to say hello to him, even though he was busy with others, just to say hello and see how he was.
The Beach Club will always be our special resort but I have to be honest, I don't ever think it will be the same there for us without Art's presence. Even my kids said, when I told them that Art had retired, "It's not going to feel the same now when we visit there".
That statement alone, from 11 and 8 year old children mind you, should tell you everything you ever need to know about Art and the wonderful person he was. He will be sorely missed.
Jay
P.S. Raouf, who works with the kids at the pool and the campfire on the beach is a great guy as well. Another asset to the Beach Club and someone I go out of my way to say hello to each trip as well.