This letter was recently e-mailed to JJ. He shared it with a few of us and we were all very touched. We asked the writer if she would be okay with sharing it on our web site, and she agreed:
Hi John
When I was a teenager I used to work in Park Royal at Rene’s restaurant and got to know your dad very well. He would come in, often with your daughter Nicole, and we would chat about all sorts of things- from his family to my love life. I was shocked when he had his stroke, and amazed at how well he recovered. I was thrilled when I went to work at the Riley and saw that they used Neates coffee, and that your dad came around there as well! I was so sad to hear of his passing. He was a wonderful man and I wanted you to know that he made a positive impact on my life. He even called me at home, years after I had stopped waitressing, to express his condolences when my mother died. What a thoughtful human being!!
I thought you might appreciate this story. For years I was a loyal Neates coffee drinker. I always asked at restaurants what kind of coffee they served, and only ordered it when they said it was Neates. Canterbury was too acidic, but I knew I would like Neates!! After a while it became hard to find Neates coffee anymore, so I had to venture out and find my new favourite coffee. A coffee shop near my apartment sold delicious coffee (yup, JJ Bean!), but I always felt a bit disloyal enjoying it so much. The ladies at my work also brought in JJ Bean coffee for us, and it became my new favourite. It was the subject of many a conversation at work, about how good the coffee was! I was at Granville Island a few weeks ago, buying my beans and thinking about your dad. I went home and Googled “Neates coffee”, because I wondered what the heck happened to it. Imagine my surprise to know that the coffee I had been feeling so guilty about enjoying so much was actually Neates coffee!!!! I wasn’t being disloyal at all! Also, I genuinely think your family makes the best coffee, and it’s not just a case of me being sentimental about your dad :-)
Anyhow, I just wanted to share that with you. So you know that there are people out there who love your coffee and loved your dad, too.
Sincerely
Joanne (Nordmark) Tansey
