Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Please accept my condolences to the family of Francis J. Hope on his passing. I knew Frank from his time as an actuary at The Hartford Insurance Group. By the time I joined the company, Frank was nearing the end of his career and, recognizing his desire to retire soon, I was eventually given the opportunity to work for him in anticipation of replacing him as the chief actuary for workmens compensation insurance. (As the company had grown, the role of the chief actuary had expanded. Frank found that position increasingly stressful as it grew and had gratefully accepted the workmens comp job, as I heard it.) Frank was the epitome of integrity and teamwork at the company. He carried out his job with great intelligence, grace and good humor, with a focus on detail and perfection and with a willingness to participate and help in any way he could. I never heard anything but compliments for him and those who got to work with him were glad for the chance. His contemporaries held the highest respect for him. He brought great value to the company. Personally, he was terrific with me and I was very grateful for his willingness to spend time teaching me what he knew. I attended the funeral mass today and newly learned that Frank was the captain of the Trinity soccer team. I was not surprised to hear that he was that good an athlete or that he took on a leadership position in something he liked, though I would guess that he might not have sought it. And of course everyone who knew him knew of his skill and devotion to the game of golf. I recall that when he retired, he expressed joy that he now would have the daylight available to finally work his five handicap down. When I saw him a year or so later, I asked him how that was going. He characteristically cleared his throat and admitted he had gone up to an eight and was once again frustrated by the game he loved! He told me he played with his brother-in-law along the coast during the winter where the wind still blew but the courses stayed open because often the snow did not accumulate there. That way, he said, he never really had to hang up his bag, even in the winter. I'm sure golf was the reason he eventually became willing to go to Florida. What a great fellow, a fine colleague, a class act, and pricipled man he was! We who knew him, however briefly, were fortunate to have been in his company. I will miss him.