Jon S. Schlissel: A Tribute

I think that, as life is action and passion, it is required of a man that he should share the passion and action of his time.
Oliver Wendell Holmes

Jon Schlissel was a man of passion. He was passionate about his family. He was faithful to his mother, Ruth, whom he called every Saturday morning at 11 a.m. He was passionate about health and fitness. He maintained a daily exercise regimen and at the age of 51 had the abs most men his age only dream of or remember wistfully. He was passionate about his causes. He challenged the politicians and advocated for others in a variety of campaigns from civil rights for gays to his neighborhood civic association. He was passionate about antiques. He was well known as a collector and connoisseur, having owned a 14-room Victorian-style brownstone, painstakingly restored and furnished with items from the Victorian era. He was passionate about history and historical preservation. He served over a period of many years as president, vice president and chair for a historical society in Jersey City, where he lived. He was passionate about his co-workers. His brother, Laurence, said that "Jon was spry and small; he could have run down those stairs in no time. But he was a supervisor, and he had a friend and coworker who was heavyset and another who was wheelchair-bound. Together, they were the only three people who were lost from Jon's office. It's most likely that he stayed to help them." He was passionate about his friends. And from the tone of the eloquent words spoken at his memorial service and the many heartfelt messages posted on the various tribute websites, Jon's friends were passionate about him.

Many thanks to Dale who followed his own passion to create this tribute to the memory of all of those who lost their lives that fateful day.