We lost a dear friend and valued colleague when Greg Zirkle passed away on Monday, March 6. Greg was a resident project representative in our Fort Wayne Construction Solutions Group. Greg excelled at making any and all project stakeholders, from a property owner to a delivery driver, feel important and valued. In honor of Greg, several memories were submitted below.
“Greg brought a wealth of experience and wisdom to our company. Greg was very good at building strong relationships on his projects and in managing clients. He also had a strong work ethic. Greg was always willing to travel wherever the projects were located. His dedication to our success and his expertise will be missed.” – Rick Conner
“Greg was a great ambassador for American Structurepoint! As an RPR on construction projects that I was involved with him on, he was so special. He absolutely owned his construction site. He loved his work and it showed in so many ways on his projects. He became part of the neighborhood during the course of construction. Beyond his relationship with the clients and the contractors, he would get to know the residents, the business owners, the school bus drivers, the local law enforcement personnel, the postal service, UPS drivers, and everyone who was effected by the construction project. He was dedicated and committed to providing the best construction inspection services possible for all concerned. He always sought to make everyone as comfortable as possible through the inevitably messy construction process. Greg will be missed for so many reasons. More than anything, I will always miss the way he made people feel good about our projects.” – Joe Fragomeni
“One memory I’ll never forget is on a past project when Greg asked me to point out the most difficult property owner to work with during design. Greg then purposely went out of his way to work with that person during the project construction. By the end of construction, that same difficult property owner took a day off work just so he could cook lunch for Greg and the construction crew to show their appreciation! That was no accident. Greg had a gift for making people feel valued and turning them into project advocates by the end of construction. Greg was a great person and extremely fun to be around. Whenever I would stop by his project site, he would always immediately make a hilarious comment. Greg will be greatly missed.” – Scott Crites
“The attached letter from a postal carrier on Greg’s last project is an example of how he treated everyone involved and affected throughout a construction project. Greg always went out of his way to make sure the residents and businesses located along his projects were treated as the number-one priority. I’ve enjoyed working with Greg and he will be missed.” – John Tucker
“I am writing this to commend Greg Zirkle and the men who worked for 7 months on the CR 200 N project here in Shipshewana. Within the first few days of the project, Greg stopped me on the road, and gave me his business card and cell phone number (so I could) call him whenever necessary. I was dumbfounded. He and the men from Niblock Excavating made what I had so dreaded, enduring what I just knew would be a 7-month-long endurance marathon, into a really pleasurable work experience. They always let me go through, made paths for me, cheered me on when I got stuck in a pile of dirt, and otherwise just made it all bearable. I can’t begin to tell you how much I appreciated it, rather than treating me like a pain-in-the-butt (which I was, but I couldn’t help it; the mail must go through!), they were always friendly and helpful. I’ve been on these county roads for 37 years, through many road-paving projects, but none were as accommodating as Greg Zirkle and the men of Niblock Excavating.” – Rural letter carrier, U.S. Postal Service, Shipshewana.
“One of the first times I met Greg was at the field office for the CR 200 project near Shipshewana in LaGrange County. Greg was there along with his dog, Gabby. Greg talked about how close he had become to the administrators of the nearby school and the property owners along the project. Even though my visit was unannounced, he took time to give me a tour of the project while discussing various problems he had experienced during the project and the solutions to those problems. He was very appreciative that someone from Indianapolis would take time to stop by and visit.” – Scott Sumner
We also received this thank you from Greg’s father and sister, Jerry Zirkle and Mechalle Zirkle: “The family of Greg Zirkle wants to thank American Structurepoint for the donation to the American Heart Association in memory of Greg. He loved his job, and (your donation) shows what a great company you are! Thanks to for all who came to Greg’s viewing and for the beautiful flowers. I am sure Greg will be missed by all.”
Please keep Greg’s family in your thoughts and prayers.