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In January of 1988 the Kazickas family was going through some challenging financial times and difficult decisions had to be made. In the midst of it Kazickas wrote a letter to his four grown children that could be used as a guidance to all of us facing life's challenges. The core values embedded in his family helped them to stay strong and enjoy the love and gratitude they had for life and each other.

"January 28, 1988

My Dear Children,

(…) I believe I have never been happier than I am at this difficult time. I have a family that brings me joy, enthusiasm and great expectations.

I am proud of all of you and I emphasize all, and know all of you will succeed. Nobody can stop you, and as a father, I know it, because you stand united and operate with strong moral convictions. Therefore, what can I contribute to you at this particular junction in your lives?

Please let me express some of my thoughts and wishes:

1. I wish that throughout our lives, all our business and personal discussions will be conducted in a sincere, open and gentlemanly manner.
2. That our decisions will be wise and honorable.
3. That these decisions will be accepted with understanding and executed in a dedicated way, to the best of our abilities, whatever personal reservations we may have had about them.
4. We will accept and share the joys of success and embarrassment of failure, jointly and severally, with modesty and humility.

Please remember that our individual and company achievements will depend on our personal input and our team effort. We will have exciting deals, but also disappointing ones. Life is composed of ups and downs, so we must face our daily tasks with a smile and conduct ourselves in a manner appropriate to the standards of the family, whatever faces us.

Always bear in mind:

…Kindness in words creates confidence.

…Kindness in thoughts creates profoundness.

…Kindness in giving creates love.

(…)

Sincerely,

Dad"

Photo above: Dr. Joseph P. Kazickas with his grandchildren on his 95th birthday in 2013