December 2nd was a day that I used to always remember, as it was the birthday of my good friend, Hal Steinke. But about two weeks ago, Hal suddenly passed away. From this point on, I can assure you that December 2nd will be a day I never forget and never forget the purpose of.
I met Hal when I was 28 years old and he had just bought (at that time a very small) dealership after coming from running a very large group of dealerships. From the very beginning, Hal Steinke was the guy who made you better. He made you better just by being in his presence. He made you better just by how intentional his conversations were with you. He made you better because he wanted to see you do better, and he would ask more of you and be tougher on you than a lot of people you have in your life will.
Hal was a client for almost 15 years, but most importantly, I’m glad to have called Hal one of my good friends. He was the kind of friend who, no matter what kind of day you were having, could make you smile. Even if you were having a really crummy day, he could make you laugh. He was the kind of friend who, when you came to see him, didn’t make you rent a car. He demanded that he be there waiting to pick you up. He was the kind of friend who always wanted to take you to eat, just so that you wouldn’t leave a meeting with him hungry. Hal was a great guy and a brilliant automotive dealer. He had struggles throughout the years, but he had so much success trapped into way too short of a time on this earth.
For all that I ever did, I always in the back of my mind wondered what Hal would think about it. And Hal was one of those guys who, if you asked him, he was going to tell you what he thought about it. He’d even tell you what he thought about it if you didn’t ask his opinion.
All that to say, today would’ve been Hal’s birthday. And upon his recent and untimely death, it’s a day in my mind that will always be remembered as Hal’s Day.