He was a guru of planning. Whether it was a small event or a big investment, he believed firmly in thinking things through in advance and coming up with detailed plans. I would argue that what was the point in planning, when so much of life was out of our control. He would say that was precisely why we needed plans. He made sure there was not just a Plan A but a Plan B and Plan C , so that in any contingency, he calmly knew exactly what he needed to do and was prepared. These plans were not just in his head, but written down in great detail. Even now, I find, when I need to think things through, I have to write my thoughts down, just like him, though I don't have his foresight for planning for all contingencies.

Thanks to his stellar planning, all four of his children had a great education. He planned for financial security for all his family, especially my mother who faced many years of debilitating illness. He even thought ahead to the day he would leave us and wrote down in his neat precise hand what we needed to do when that day came. He left instructions for medical personnel on his wishes for what he wanted them to do and not do.

He left a poem to remind us that grieving shouldn't stop us from carrying on with our lives. He left instructions for what he wanted for final rites - not so much ceremony as ways to donate and make life a little brighter for the disadvantaged. He left notes on how to deal with matters, big and small, knowing how absent-minded I can be.

He was fully present in the Now but always was prepared for the Future. He kept up with changing times for over nine decades, well-informed and relevant, in all that he said and did. It was his way of staying always young, no matter how many years he lived.