Farewell to A Caring, Thoughtful, Giving Dad, Granddad, and Writer
- Allan Shedlin
- 5 hours ago
- 6 min read
By Scott Beller
In tribute to J. Boyce Gleason
Joe was my first boss and introduction to the public relations agency world. Then in his mid-30s, he exuded a steady – not showy – confidence, caring, intellect, and energy that fueled the small DC office of a very big Manning, Selvage & Lee (MS&L).
Joe passed away last Saturday, November 1, surrounded by his loving family. He was 69.
As an intern, I was blessed to have Joe as my example of what the profession was all about, and also what PR could and should be: built on a solid foundation of research, truth, trust, and, most of all, heart.
While I handled the usual intern duties, like manning the front desk phones while others went to lunch, photocopying reams of materials (with painfully long client codes to enter before every. single. copy.), and stuffing/distributing press kits, and delivering press releases door-to-door at the National Press Club (the old-fashioned, analog way!), Joe and my immediate supervisor, Chino Chapa, still gave me opportunities to truly shine. In other words, they let me write about important things for important organizations and important people.
Joe believed in me. He treated me with respect from the beginning. And I was in awe. I knew if I ever hoped to become a "big PR executive," Joe Gleason would be my model.
(I did, sort of...for a brief moment in the late 90s-early 2000s...and did my best to treat those who worked with and for me with the same kindness and respect. I hope I succeeded far more often than not.)
Years after leaving MS&L, I was with another agency and had just moved back to DC from Dallas. Our agency offices happened to occupy the same building at 1615 L Street, so I often bumped into Joe walking to or back from lunch. Occasionally, we even grabbed a bite together. That reconnection was yet another blessing. It provided me the opportunity to not only maintain a professional relationship with him, but also build a writerly friendship.
The last time I saw Joe was at the end of February. We met for lunch in Arlington at a spot we'd been to together a couple times before. Although he lived "way out" in Clifton, he always said, "I'll come to you." That kindness was always appreciated, especially the first time when my kids were younger and being closer to home was more important. We discussed post-election politics (of course), the Daddying Film Festival, and our respective writing paths. He was excited about current research for his next manuscript in progress, a book about Benjamin Franklin, and that he was getting closer to landing a literary agent.
Joe recently posted to his blog and social media that he'd secured a contract with a well-respected literary agency. It was sure to be the beginning of another amazing chapter in his already accomplished career. After his Carolingian Chronicles historical fiction series (which we highlighted and Joe generously donated giveaway copies for our Daddying Holiday Book Gift Guides) received so much praise for its level of detail and authenticity, I and his many Carolingian fans eagerly awaited the insights Joe had in store with that unfinished Ben Franklin book.
Several times since we started this blog back in 2020, I reached out to Joe to see if he had any writing from his own blog or originals he'd like to share and entrust with us, and every time, he obliged. One of those posts appears below, almost two years from the time it published.
Thank you, Joe, for sharing your thoughts, words, and talents with so many. Thank you for your generosity and compassion. For seeing the potential in me, trusting me to help convey the big ideas, and showing the way to open people's eyes a little wider.
You are gone too soon. You are remembered with affection, Joe, and deeply missed. My heart and sincere condolences go out to your family and friends.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The following post from Joe published on the Daddying blog, November 29, 2023. Its message, like the loving Dad/Granddad who wrote it, is about caring and kindness, paying attention, keeping a sense of humor, and giving back. Friends will gather to celebrate Joe's life and share stories later this month. To honor his memory, we'll be contributing to a cause suggested by his family, Blood Cancer United.
FK Your Diet and Feed the Urge to Give
For some reason, I stopped at the ATM on my way out of the hotel. I didn’t really need the cash but something inside me made it feel necessary. I was in Fort Meyers for a guys weekend playing golf, and our host for the trip told us to meet at a breakfast place before our first tee time.
When we pulled up at the address, however, I wasn’t so sure that the place was a good idea. It was adjacent to a massage parlor and looked a little, well…off. Garish paint colors of orange, bright blue, bold yellow, and pink covered the place outside and in, and child-like letters boldly proclaimed its name.
FK Your Diet.
The 12 of us walked in, sat down and were greeted by a middle-aged man in a t-shirt stained with food. He had a broad smile and a devilish glint to his eyes.
“I could be part of this group.” He ribbed us, handing out menus, “If I had a collared shirt.”
His name was Doug Miller and he is the owner of the establishment. His restaurant’s theme is “Eat to Give” and “FK” stands for “Foster Kids.” Having grown up in a series of foster homes throughout his childhood, Doug along with his girlfriend, Amy Eldridge, decided to give back to the foster care community after he retired from a career in sales.
They created FK Your Diet as a vehicle for funneling money into services devoted to Foster Kids. For years, there were no prices on his menus because many of his customers had no money and he refused to let anyone leave his place hungry. He asked customers to pay what they could, relying on the better angels of their nature to keep his place in business and to send money to his charities.
When hurricane Ian hit the Fort Meyers community like a sledgehammer, thousands were left homeless. He and his merry band of waiters and volunteers served 300,000 hot meals to those impacted by the storm. They brought in a thousand trucks filled with household goods and appliances for those who lost everything. And they continue to help the needy at Fort Meyers Beach by providing free breakfast and lunch meals from Monday to Friday.
And then there are the foster kids. In addition to a place where they can always count on a hot meal, he donates a large portion of his proceeds to the agencies that provide for the foster care community. He throws Thanksgiving dinners, graduation celebrations for Foster Kids, and works with the local high school, holding regular lunches with teachers and at-risk kids to improve connections between the two.
The icing on this cinnamon roll is that the food is amazing. Served by cheerful waiters who call everyone and each other “boss,” the food is over-the-top good. The menu is based on the meals Doug prized most from his youthful tour through foster homes. The breakfast burrito is the size of a football and his turkey gravy is to die for. I had a “breakfast sammie,” and it was about twice the amount of food I could eat.
The 12 of us left his restaurant for the golf course, deeply moved by how much one person’s passion could affect his community. It was, to be honest, a very humbling experience.
But, at least, then I understood why I needed the cash from the hotel ATM.
Daddying Film Festival & FORUM 2026
Fifty-Six countries and counting! The 5th annual Daddying Film Festival & Forum (D3F) welcomes film and video submissions, including TikToks and Instagram reels, from students (3rd-graders through undergrads), Dads/Granddads, Dad figures, and indie filmmakers worldwide! Submit videos/films on D3F's FilmFreeway page through Monday, December 8. Our next discount Raven deadline is Friday, November 14th! Send us your daddying films/videos and help us celebrate the importance of involved Dads/dad figures!
We're rolling out D3F 2026 Official Selection announcements – YOUR film/video could be next!
J. Boyce Gleason was a Dad to three sons, three daughters-in-law, and five granddaughters. He was an author of award-winning historical novels for mature audiences, including The Carolingian Chronicles books Anvil of God, Wheel of the Fates, and Crown of A King. Joe also was a regular contributor to the Daddying blog. Before turning his talents to writing, Gleason worked as a press secretary on Capitol Hill for two U.S. Representatives and served in the private sector as a public affairs and crisis management consultant. Gleason's work on some of the most visible corporate crises in recent U.S. history earned him national recognition and made him a featured speaker and advisor to corporate, academic, civil rights, and nonprofit institutions. He earned an AB in history from Dartmouth College and brings a strong understanding of the events that shaped history to his writing. He lived in Virginia with his wife, Mary Margaret.
