Sweet Marlene
I first met Marlene in the spring of 2014. QED Style was a new line and introducing itself at the Thunder Valley show - a golf industry tradeshow near Sacramento hosted by the lovely Emmy Moore Minister and the Northern California PGA Section. Marlene was a well-recognized member of the Haggin Oaks and Morton Golf buying team. I was shy, and she was…she was Marlene. For those of you who knew her, you know what I mean. Her smile, positive nature and genuine curiosity were unmistakable. At the time, a two minute introduction was all I could have asked for. Five years later, Marlene had become a trusted business partner, officemate, fellow cocktail critic, dog watcher and close friend.
Marlene was hired as the VP of Sales for QED Style in October of 2017. Having been well trained from her days at Nordstrom and Haggin Oaks, her industry experience, merchandising skills and ability to lead a sales team were all components that we felt could help take QED to the next level. While given a specific title, anyone familiar with small businesses know that “titles” are relatively meaningless internally. Every person is expected to pitch in and help out in areas outside of their primary responsibilities and normal business hours. Consequently, I was able to spend significant time with Marlene the past year and a half. That time was a gift. Without knowing it at the time, both Marlene and her personal life experiences taught me lessons on perspective, perseverance, loyalty and kindness that will stay with me the rest of my life.
Perhaps the most important thing for me to communicate is the humbling gratitude I have for Marlene’s trust in me and passion for this company. Marlene had secured a position within the widely respected and successful Morton Golf family and decided to join me on a risky and wild adventure. Something in her saw my vision and passion for QED Style that pushed her to take a leap of faith in me and my family. Looking back, it was the ultimate compliment and I will be forever grateful. Her passion and energy will live on at QED Style through our apparel, company objectives and daily smiles towards everyone. Cheers to Marlene.
A celebration of Marlene’s life will be held on Saturday, June 29th at the Scottish Rite Temple in Sacramento, California.