Risk & Business Magazine JGS Insurance Magazine Fall 2018 | Page 7

LIFE IS UNCERTAIN
From left to right: Zachary, Chris, Josh and Joseph DeFino
idea of the impact the disease would have
on his life, eventually taking it. Joe was
an avid outdoorsman who loved camping,
hanging around a fire pit, and competing
in 5K charity runs. Joe handled this disease
with grace and a certain determination to
get the most out of life while he still could.
For Joe, life was certain. He knew he had
a very limited time to enjoy everything he
loved one last time. I took him to one last
Yankee game, twice to see a Grateful Dead
tribute band and to local parties around
the neighborhood. We went to the Jersey
Shore and the restaurants along the shore.
With every trip we took, I realized that, for
him, this would more than likely be his last
time doing something that he loved. 
His friends and I arranged to continue
our annual camping trip the week before
Thanksgiving and to modify our activities
to meet his needs. Joe went the first
year with leg braces and a cane and sat
around the fire pit laughing and singing
along with his friends. We eliminated the
Saturday afternoon hike, but otherwise,
we did all the usual things, and Joe made
his infamous Dutch oven peach cobbler
dessert. The next year, he and his friends
were determined to allow him to enjoy
one last trip, and we moved from tents to
cabins and took him in his hospital bed
and wheelchair. It was hard to fathom
how quickly he had deteriorated over a
year's time. The third year was this past
November, and he was no longer capable of
going no matter how hard we tried.
Joe’s passing and his limited time to enjoy
the things he loved all of his life made me
think often of my dad’s words, “Life is
uncertain; eat dessert first.” What he was
telling us was that for most people, you
don’t know when your time will come. The
end can be swift and unrelenting or slow
and agonizing. Don’t wait until it’s too late
to make time for the people you love or
the things that you love to do. Enjoy the
little and the big things every day, take a
moment and reflect on the good and bad
things in your life and celebrate the good.
It’s all too easy to get ca ught up in life, in
the addicting passing of time, in staring
at your phones or tablets or television or
other distractions. If you find yourself in
a panic because you left your cell phone
home and feel disconnected from the
world, I submit to you that this is the time
to actually reconnect to the things that
matter. Take a moment to look around you
and let yourself relax. Smile at a stranger,
help somebody for a moment. It could be
as easy as holding a door open or helping
somebody carry a package or, God forbid,
letting somebody get in front of you on the
highway.
You will often hear me speak of finding
your passion and making it a part of your
life. Do something this week that you
love but haven’t found time to do recently.
When you reconnect with your passion, all
aspects of your life including your career
will be improved. The little things in life
will become larger if you allow them to.
Life is uncertain; eat dessert first!
Joseph DeFino passed away on June 1,
2018, and is survived by his wife, Chris,
and his two sons, Zachary and Josh . +
Ken Hager began his insurance career more
than 30 years ago at JGS Insurance. Ken’s
current role as Chief Operating Officer at
JGS began in 1997. Since that time he has
been a guiding force in the direction and
success of the JGS enterprise. Throughout
the years, Ken has remained engaged with
his customers and keenly focused on their
needs. He intently understands the risks
associated with his clients operations
and has been uniquely able to offer them
superior solutions to their business needs.
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