Remembering E. Paul Glover

E. Paul Glover died last week.  He was 79.

Paul was my stepfather.  He was a huge part of my life since he’d been with my mother (pictured above) since 1976.  That’s 45 incredible years.

I can’t even begin to list all the “Paul stories.”  They’re legendary.  But his most lasting legacy will be in the hundreds of building projects and skyscrapers all over the country he helped to make happen.  Paul was a builder and a man of action, not just words.  Hundreds, perhaps thousands of union workers directly benefited from contracts and deals Paul personally made with union bosses, billion-dollar construction companies, and even organized crime figures in New Orleans, Philadelphia, Dallas, and other big cities.  Construction can be a dirty business, but Paul was the most honest person inside any boardroom.  That’s why he was so trusted — by everyone.

A high-school dropout, Paul was entirely a self-made man who began working in construction at age 14.  But he had the best street smarts of anyone I’ve ever met.  He was a lifetime member in the Sheet Metal Workers International Union (Local #68), then worked as a major executive who negotiated huge contracts when things were at an impasse.  It was almost unheard of for a former sheet metal worker to also wear a suit and negotiate the contracts, but Paul did that.  Paul came in and rescued many skyscraper-related construction projects because he was one of the few if only parties who worked both sides — a loyal union member and the Vice President of construction for one of the biggest firms in commercial construction.  To say he was an amazing negotiator would be an understatement.

This past weekend, I had the great honor of speaking at Paul’s funeral and delivering a eulogy.  To be asked to speak for Paul, the man, the builder, and companion to my mother for so many years will be a cherished memory, forever.

I created this video which was shown at the service, held at Calvery Cemetary in northwest Dallas.  Thanks to Larry and Stephanie Basinger (his daughter) for scanning all the photos which appear in this 8-minute video.