I have many fond memories of the conversations Jeff and I shared over the last five years.  But there are two conversation that I will always cherish, they happen to be one of the first and last moments we shared together. 

I first met Jeff when we started working together in 2011.  Shortly after Jeff started working I walked up to Jeff and said “Hey Jeff", Jeff looked at me and replied “What do you need Bo?”  I stood there thinking “Bo” what does he mean by Bo, finally I replied “could you come down to my office after lunch?”  “Sure thing Bo” Jeff replied.  After lunch Jeff walked into my office, “What’s new Bo?” Jeff asked.  

During our conversation Jeff kept referring to me as Bo.  I sat there wondering why does he always called me “Bo”.  My mind raced back to my childhood days and our neighbor’s dog, named “Bo”.  Images of hearing “Bo – knock it off, Bo – come here, Bo – hush” filled my head.  Finally, I stopped Jeff in mid-sentence and asked “Jeff, why do you keep calling me Bo?  Bo is the name of a dog are you calling me a dog?”   Jeff looked at me and with a smile spreading across his face replied, “Bo, I’m not calling you a dog, I call all my friends “Bo”.  I sat there looking at him and said “but Jeff, you call everyone Bo?”  Laughing Jeff replied “yeah I use “Bo” to mean friend so I treat everyone like my friend.”  It didn’t take long until everybody at work affectingly started calling Jeff .....“Bo”….. our friend.

Over the years Jeff and I shared many stories together, but the last conversation we had exemplified Jeff’s character, charm and his unique ability to bring a smile to your face.   At the end of the work day Jeff walked into my office with his big smile and a cup of “Dark Columbian Coffee”.  “What’s new Bo?” Jeff asked has he sat down.  “Not much” I replied.  Jeff asked if I was out in the turbine bay lately and he reported hearing a low rumbling noise.  As I looked over at Jeff I couldn’t help but smile, he was sitting in the chair with his arms moving, swaying back and forth to a rumbling noise he was making.  I asked, “Jeff, could you repeat that noise I missed it?”  Jeff smiled, stood up, and repeated the noise and the dance moves.  After a moment Jeff said “I just wanted to let you know about that noise, make sure you check it out tomorrow.”  He then turned around and swayed out of my office humming the rumbling noise.

Has I left the building a few minutes later I had a smile in my heart thinking of how Bo put his heart and soul into everything he did.  We never know the turns that life takes and the next day I heard the heartbreaking news that Jeff was involved in a car accident.  During the course of the day I keep thinking about these two conversations and all of the smiles and laughs Jeff and I shared in between.

Just today I was speaking to some of our employees at work when one of them yelled out “Hey Bo I can’t hear you.”  Hey Bo, I can’t hear you, a simple phase, but it made me stop and think of my friend, Jeff Reichert.  Has I looked at the other employees they too were thinking of something else.  One by one a smile crept across their faces and I realized they too were cherishing the memories of their friend Bo.

We don't know where life may take us or what may happen tomorrow, but I am certain of one thing.  There is a power plant in Rahway where Jeff worked;  five, ten, fifteen years from now,  an employee is going to innocently asked “What’s new Bo?” and people are going to stop and smile while they cherish the memories of our dear friend……. Jeffrey “Bo” Reichert.