Grandpa
For over 32 years I have had the honor of living in the shadow of a truly great man. To a young boy there are few things more important than a true role model to emulate and my grandfather was that and so much more. I was blessed to have a man in my life who chose to patiently stand by my side and sacrifice his time to make me a better person. He had no obligation to dedicate so much of his time to me. He had done his job already and raised his own children. He could've treated me like an average grandson and enjoyed holidays and occasional visits with me and I still would have been in awe of him. That just wasn't the type of grandfather he was though.
This was grandpas nature. He cared unconditionally for so many people and they all truly cared for him. He taught me the importance of a family, and not just one bound by blood. Rather a group of people who truly adore and care for each other and are willing to sacrifice for those they cherish. He taught me the true value of charity. Not a single holiday passed where you wouldn't find grandpa inviting anyone he thought would be alone to come spend time with his family. He taught me the value of hard work. He taught me that respect is earned not deserved. No one deserves anything in life except the right to earn what you want.
What made these lessons and so many more so amazing to me was that he never actually told them to me. He showed me. He truly was a role model. Any fool can tell a boy how to act but it takes a real man to show that boy how to become a man himself and this was his greatest gift to me.
I followed my grandfather around my entire life. Wanting so eagerly to be as proud, well liked and respected as he was. On the 27th of June 2013 my grandfather swore me in as a commissioned officer in the United States Army as he fought back tears of pride. It was at that moment that I realized I had graduated. I had made the man I wanted to be my whole life proud.
I will always remain, in my heart, that 10 year old boy following my hero around the Brick Cafe. I shall forever be indebted to my grandfather who taught me how to be a man. Thank you for undying dedication to all of your grandchildren and everyone else in your life grandpa.
Cpt. Henry Maier United States Army (ret.)
Husband
Father
Friend
Grandfather
Great Grandfather
Uncle
Role Model
Colin Hintze
*************************************************************************************************
Hank:
With his booming baritone
And his seven foot stance,
Hank enters the room
And everyone, in his direction, turns to glance.
He visits every table and
He shakes every single hand.
How some people take for granted
The simple gestures that make a man.
He’s from the oldest of schools,
A real class act, as the saying goes.
This is mirrored in his business sense,
In his music, his mannerisms, his clothes.
He is of the time where handshakes reigned supreme,
And words were always kept as gold.
He is from the days of drinks and dancing,
When a man’s character couldn’t be bought and sold.
And of all the things he taught us,
Family was number one.
He has five children, twelve grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren, after all
And that’s where the list has just begun;
For he made all of us family,
He makes sure we know he’s on our side.
He loves to introduce us to people and have us say how long we’ve been at the Brick.
For him, it is a big source of pride.
Hank Maier is the name of a man
Who built an empire in his backyard.
But of all the ways to describe his life, of all the words to choose,
For me, restauranteur falls just a bit far.
For Hank Maier didn’t just build a great eatery--
Although the Waterside was, and the Brick is, just that.
Hank Maier created a community.
He is a leader, a father, a mentor, a friend, a veteran, a family man, a cultivator of memories,
A restauranteur is just one hat.
You might have noticed that I refer to Hank in the present tense.
I’ve made no mistake, there’s no error in my form,
There’s no correction to be made.
I’m confident that my words make sense.
Because, you know, his story isn’t over.
Hank Maier lives through his legacy;
He brought each of us up as his own, to carry his torch and kept the fire lit.
Legends never die, you see.
I’ll be having a drink with Hank,
Bombay sapphire martini, with just enough vermouth that you can sense it’s there but not enough to taste it,
One olive and no stirrer.
How will you salute our dear friend?
How will you honor this pillar of our world?
Hank, rest in peace,
Larger than life is what you’ll always be.
“You’re not here for a long time; you’re here for a good time”
There have never been truer words for me.
Stephannie Ciantro
For over 32 years I have had the honor of living in the shadow of a truly great man. To a young boy there are few things more important than a true role model to emulate and my grandfather was that and so much more. I was blessed to have a man in my life who chose to patiently stand by my side and sacrifice his time to make me a better person. He had no obligation to dedicate so much of his time to me. He had done his job already and raised his own children. He could've treated me like an average grandson and enjoyed holidays and occasional visits with me and I still would have been in awe of him. That just wasn't the type of grandfather he was though.
This was grandpas nature. He cared unconditionally for so many people and they all truly cared for him. He taught me the importance of a family, and not just one bound by blood. Rather a group of people who truly adore and care for each other and are willing to sacrifice for those they cherish. He taught me the true value of charity. Not a single holiday passed where you wouldn't find grandpa inviting anyone he thought would be alone to come spend time with his family. He taught me the value of hard work. He taught me that respect is earned not deserved. No one deserves anything in life except the right to earn what you want.
What made these lessons and so many more so amazing to me was that he never actually told them to me. He showed me. He truly was a role model. Any fool can tell a boy how to act but it takes a real man to show that boy how to become a man himself and this was his greatest gift to me.
I followed my grandfather around my entire life. Wanting so eagerly to be as proud, well liked and respected as he was. On the 27th of June 2013 my grandfather swore me in as a commissioned officer in the United States Army as he fought back tears of pride. It was at that moment that I realized I had graduated. I had made the man I wanted to be my whole life proud.
I will always remain, in my heart, that 10 year old boy following my hero around the Brick Cafe. I shall forever be indebted to my grandfather who taught me how to be a man. Thank you for undying dedication to all of your grandchildren and everyone else in your life grandpa.
Cpt. Henry Maier United States Army (ret.)
Husband
Father
Friend
Grandfather
Great Grandfather
Uncle
Role Model
Colin Hintze
*************************************************************************************************
Hank:
With his booming baritone
And his seven foot stance,
Hank enters the room
And everyone, in his direction, turns to glance.
He visits every table and
He shakes every single hand.
How some people take for granted
The simple gestures that make a man.
He’s from the oldest of schools,
A real class act, as the saying goes.
This is mirrored in his business sense,
In his music, his mannerisms, his clothes.
He is of the time where handshakes reigned supreme,
And words were always kept as gold.
He is from the days of drinks and dancing,
When a man’s character couldn’t be bought and sold.
And of all the things he taught us,
Family was number one.
He has five children, twelve grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren, after all
And that’s where the list has just begun;
For he made all of us family,
He makes sure we know he’s on our side.
He loves to introduce us to people and have us say how long we’ve been at the Brick.
For him, it is a big source of pride.
Hank Maier is the name of a man
Who built an empire in his backyard.
But of all the ways to describe his life, of all the words to choose,
For me, restauranteur falls just a bit far.
For Hank Maier didn’t just build a great eatery--
Although the Waterside was, and the Brick is, just that.
Hank Maier created a community.
He is a leader, a father, a mentor, a friend, a veteran, a family man, a cultivator of memories,
A restauranteur is just one hat.
You might have noticed that I refer to Hank in the present tense.
I’ve made no mistake, there’s no error in my form,
There’s no correction to be made.
I’m confident that my words make sense.
Because, you know, his story isn’t over.
Hank Maier lives through his legacy;
He brought each of us up as his own, to carry his torch and kept the fire lit.
Legends never die, you see.
I’ll be having a drink with Hank,
Bombay sapphire martini, with just enough vermouth that you can sense it’s there but not enough to taste it,
One olive and no stirrer.
How will you salute our dear friend?
How will you honor this pillar of our world?
Hank, rest in peace,
Larger than life is what you’ll always be.
“You’re not here for a long time; you’re here for a good time”
There have never been truer words for me.
Stephannie Ciantro
