Hello, thank you all for coming. Allow me to introduce myself...my name is Jason. I'm Hans' other son. Not his natural son, as you can see, but his step son...although i always referred to him as "Dad", because that's exactly what he's been to me.
I have so many fond memories of Hans that I don't know where to begin. Perhaps it's best to start with when I first met him. It was back when Mom and Hans were dating, and I remember that he didn't treat me like I was merely Regina's kid, but he embraced me...literally, you know? First time he came to the house, he rang the doorbell, I ran downstairs to answer it, and as asoon as I opened the door, he greeted me with this great big bear hug, and lifted me off my feet. I was like "Wow, who is this guy?"
Hans was always so warmhearted, right from the beginning. When he was away on business trips, he would always send me postcards...of classic sports cars, because he knew I liked cars. And he would always include a little story of why that particular car was special. I remember collecting all the postcards and would post each one I received on the side of my bookshelf next to my bed. Before long, I had a huge column of postcards.
Hans really opened up my world to so many new things. I remember being stuck in a rut thinking of what to do for a 4th grade science project, and Hans came up with this idea to do a project on solar power. It was a pretty advanced concept at the time, at least for a 9 year old...Hans helped me make an award winning display with a fan powered by a solar cell, while other kids were still trying to make their model volcanos explode.
In 5th grade, I found myself in a familiar situation of being stuck, but this time it was for a paper on John Smith. This was before the days of the internet, mind you, so I couldn't just look it up and copy and paste the text. Hans pointed me in the right direction by approaching the subject with a genuine sense of curiosity, and told me to start the essay by asking the question, "Just who is this John Smith?" I remember when it was time to hand back the papers, our teacher was not pleased. She said everyone failed miserably on the assignment, and it seemed clear that no one had a clue as to how to write an essay. No one except one student...and then she asked me to stand up and read my paper out loud.
Hans also taught a little boy how to be charming. I remember one time Hans took me to this nice Swiss restaurant in San Francisco called the Swiss House. That was where an 8 year old boy got his first proper lesson in Western table etiquette. He also taught me how to say "hello" in Switze-Deutsche, and encouraged me to practice on our waitress...so I said, "Gurrietze" next time she came around, and I think she blushed.
As a little boy growing up and raised by a single mom, I am really grateful for Hans entering my life and teaching me all the things that a boy should know. He taught me how to defend myself when other kids picked on me. He always told me, "Hit FIRST, and hit HARD." So i asked him what comes next after that, and he said, "Well, if the other guy is bigger than you, you run like hell." Hans instilled in me an interest in martial arts, boy scouts, taught me how to swim, how to shoot, a love for James Bond movies and gadgets. Hans loved gadgets, an so did I naturally. I was the only kid in 6th grade with fancy pens. And he'd upgrade my wooden ruler which was given to every student to a shiny black plastic one with a built-in calculator. Of course that later became a problem, because whenever my mom came into my room to give me a spanking, the first thing she would look for would be my ruler. So when Hans upgraded the next one to a sleek, aluminum ruler with built-in calculator AND pen stand, I was very afraid.
I remember when my mom was away, Hans would always use that as an opportunity to take me out to a nice restaurant, since my mother would usually not allow it because it was kind of a guilty pleasure (you can see how my Mom and Hans played the good cop/bad cop role very well). I remember we used to always go to this place called "The Grand Cafe" when we lived in New Jersey. He would always order himself or myself a nice filet mignon, or a "steak au poivre", that was his favorite. And for dessert it was always a chocolate souffle. Hans really loved food...and loved cooking. An because he cooked so well, his love for food was passed down to me as well. All my friends LOVED coming over for dinner. And many of my extended family can attest to how great his breakfasts were...He was always experimenting with new ways to cook eggs. He had about a hundred different ways, because he would never make it the same way twice.
Hans also loved Jazz. One time i took him to a Soul Food restaurant with Jazz, and he was in double heaven. One of his favorite places to hang out in Shanghai was the Blues & Jazz club. The first time I went with him, I could tell he was at home. His favorite seat wasn't in the front, close to the music...it was in the back, by the bar, where he could see everyone come in and chat with people. I witnessed how everyone was really fond of him....the display of his natural congeniality and how he engaged people.
Earlier this year we went to hear Michael Braungart speak on sustainability. Hans was able to engage the guest speaker in a lengthy discussion before and after the speech. During the Q&A segment, he went up to the microphone and gave his own mini-presentation on sustainablity, and I witnessed how he commanded everyone's attention. He always asked the audience questions to make sure they understood...he always had a good feeling for people. One of his favorite past times was going to New York City and just sit at a cafe or park and go people watching. He had an uncanny understanding of people and a genuine interest in their lives, and how they think. He put those talents to work over the last couple of years when he volunteered on weekends at hte lifeline call center, an emergency crisis hotline. He told me that sometimes people would call him just to chat. He has such a heart for being supportive, and I'll always remember how supportive he's been to me, and how he's influence my creative side and personality...he's a big part of who I am today. He will be remembered for serving the Lord through his ability to touch people's lives and through his generous spirit. We all have been blessed by Hans in our lives, and much thanks is given to the Lord today.
