I have known Paul Farrow for more than a decade.
Paul and I met in 2011 when he was a member of the State Assembly. He had big shoes to fill. His mom was Margaret Farrow, Wisconsin’s first female lieutenant governor. Margaret was loud and strong and outgoing. She was larger than life. Paul was quiet, a natural introvert.
I quickly discovered that one of Paul’s strengths was that he listened, I mean really listened. He was a proud Republican, but was even prouder that he listened to Democrats. He worked with Democrats; I mean really worked. After serving in the State Senate, he was elected Waukesha County Executive. He worked in an unprecedented way with his Democratic counterpart in Milwaukee County, David Crowley. Recently Paul received the Tommy Thompson Distinguished Public Leadership Award for his bi-partisan work on a broad range of issues.
I could go on and on about Paul’s distinguished career. I’ll let others run through his resume. I want to focus on the man who was my friend.
It hurts my heart to be writing these sentences in past tense. It sucks. It’s unfair. It hurts. Paul was only 61 years old.
Paul was selfless. He helped me install a radon mitigation system in our home. He helped me install a new garage door. Let’s be real; Paul actually did the work and I just kept him company. Here was the Republican front runner for Governor a year and a half ago helping a buddy put in a new garage door. That was Paul.
My wife Michelle and I invited Paul and his wife Amy to spend a week with us at our home in South Carolina. I was looking forward to nice dinners out and time walking the beach. We did those things, but we did a whole lot more. Paul was insistent that we go over every inch of the house and “tweak” this and “repair” that. The four of us laughed, and relaxed, and thanks to Paul, got a whole lot of work done.
When Paul was your friend, he was 100% in. Always. He was one of the busiest guys I knew, but he always found time for lunch, or dinner or just a quick one liner. Often, I would be doing our afternoon show and my phone would buzz with a text from Paul. Sometimes it was making a point that a guest had missed and sometimes it was just a goofy emoji, letting me know what Paul thought of the guest.
I need to return to the present tense because I believe parts of Paul will always be with me. Paul is smart, kind, and thoughtful. He leaves behind a legacy that would make him proud: an incredible wife, whom he knew for just one day shy of 42 years, and wonderful children and grandchildren.
I want to write more, but my heart won’t let me… yet.
Wisconsin lost a great leader. I lost a great friend.
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