Published January 10, 2022 · Updated September 26, 2026
Some people enter our lives when we’re simply trying to find our way.
We may meet them through a job, an unexpected invitation, or an ordinary day that doesn’t seem particularly important at the time.
We don’t always realize how much they will mean to us.
When I first arrived in Canada, finding work was one of my priorities. I was starting over in an unfamiliar country, trying to build a life while carrying pieces of the one I had left behind.
Some jobs helped me survive. Others taught me lessons I never expected, including my experience working as a room attendant at Fairmont Royal York Hotel.
But there was one job that introduced me to someone who would remind me so much of my grandfather.
His name was Bob Schulz.
I met him because I needed a job but what I received from that experience was something I would carry long after the work ended.
How I Met Bob Schulz
The moment I read of the Kijiji job post for a personal assistant to a 90-year old ex-film director, Bob Schulz, I closed my eyes, laid my hands on the computer, and fervently prayed for me to get the job. Not only did I badly need a job at that time but also desired to address an old man’s need of someone to assist him with technology. It reminded me so much of my grandfather (Gpa). During the sunset of his life, I became his secretary/caregiver so I know very well that feeling of old people having to keep up with the modern world.
The first time I met Robert “Bob” Schulz was he was on his bed as I was brought by his caregiver into his bedroom. I told him I was there for an interview in which he abruptly asked, “Can we start now?” Then he fought his way to get on his wheelchair to talk to me in the living room. Right then and there, I knew he was a professional. I knew he was brilliant. He told me what he needed so we started working on tidying up his paper works and documents. Organizing his stuffs gave me an inkling of who he was before, not realizing how big the name Bob Schulz was.
More Than a Job
Everyday that I came to his apartment gave a smile on his face. He became cheery as he told his previous assistant, Ben who posted the Kijiji ad, “I am very impressed by her! THANK YOU!!! She is bright and cheerful :)” Truly, if you emit positivity, then positivity also comes to you. I was more than happy to not only serve Bob as a personal assistant but to also serve as a sunshine to him!
Sad to say, due to old age, Bob was deteriorating day after day. My 4-hour-a-day schedule with him was reduced to 3 to 2 to 1 to less than an hour until he was telling me not to come the next day and the next because he felt tired. But if he had important matters to attend to, he would call for me and even though we couldn’t work for 4 hours, he still paid me in full. He was so concerned on how he could help me as a newcomer here in Canada and I was always telling him that getting the job was already a big help for me.
During those early years, I was learning that starting over wasn’t simply about finding work or building a new routine. It was also about the people who helped make an unfamiliar place feel less lonely.
I would experience that same kindness in other chapters of my Canadian journey, including my first winter, when a little girl’s warm hand became an unforgettable reminder that I wasn’t alone.
→ Read: Warm Hands: Finding Belonging in a New Country
The Quiet Days Before Goodbye
A week before Bob passed away, we only watched old black and white movies in Hungarian until he fell asleep and just let me sit at his bedside. The moment he awoken, he would tell me to go home early because I still had to take the street car (subway train and bus). Every time he was telling me that, I would tell him my time is not yet up but he always told me that he would still pay me in full. He had such a generous heart which I further witnessed when his sister, Julie and personal assistant for 28 years turned friend turned daughter, Kim gave him the party he wanted for his 90th birthday.
On a chilly night of November, we celebrated Bob Schulz’ life at The Revival Event Venue along College St. It was such a great honor to me to be still working for my Bobbykins even after a month and 10 days of his passing away. I was assigned in reaching out all his contacts, using his email, Instagram, and Facebook accounts. I had the privilege to talk to prominent people, showbiz and non-showbiz. From them, I learned how legendary Bob was.
Discovering Who Bob Had Been
Bob Schulz was Canada’s top commercial director/producer of his time! He was celebrated as one of the most influential, powerful, glamorous, opinionated, innovative, and creative people in Toronto by Toronto Life Magazine (IMDb.com). He also received international recognition for his feature films which include Mel Gibson’s The Man Without a Face and produced TV dramas, music videos, and public service films in over 30 countries. All his life’s accomplishments were written on his autobiography entitled Csapó! Tessék which is in Hungarian.
With Bob being legendary, his family, friends and colleagues from the Schulz Productions gave him honor by gracing the big event. With more than a hundred guests, the night of Bob’s remembrance was a blast! Classical music from yesteryears were played live, great food by Me and Julio Inc. were served, and the highlight of the night was Bob’s memorial video, an encapsulation of his good heart from all the people loving him around the world by George Saturnino of Saturnino Productions! For more about Bob’s last red carpet, visit CBC News’ feature here. Thank you, Talia Ricci for giving attention to my email of paying tribute to the great Bob Schulz! 🙂
Bob Schulz’s Last Red Carpet
My First Heartbreak in Canada
Bob was my first heartbreak here in Canada. It was like losing my Gpa the second time around. It was actually my Gpa leading me to Bob. Both 90 years old smart gentlemen when I served them with exactly the same tasks! Farewell, my Bobbykins! Thank you for your kindness to me. With you I became a darling and a sweetheart. It was indeed a great honor to have been in service to you!
What Bob’s Kindness Taught Me
When I first wrote this story, I was grieving someone who had become dear to me during my earliest days in Canada.
Today, what stays with me isn’t only Bob’s extraordinary career or the remarkable people who came to celebrate his life.
I remember how he worried about my long commute.
How he insisted on paying me even when he was too tired to work.
How he made me feel appreciated when I was still trying to find my place in a new country.
I had prayed for a job because I needed to earn money and hoped I could help an elderly gentleman.
What I didn’t expect was to find another grandfather figure so far from home.
Sometimes the richness of our lives comes not from what we accomplish or acquire, but from the people we have the privilege of knowing.
Bob’s story also reminds me of another lesson I learned while working in Canada: the jobs we take out of necessity can sometimes become chapters that change how we see ourselves and our lives.
I share another part of that journey in A Beautiful Surrender: From Housekeeping Manager to Room Attendant.
The People Who Make a Place Feel Like Home
When we think about exploring a new country, we often imagine its famous attractions, beautiful landscapes and places we’ve always dreamed of visiting.
And yes, Canada has given me many beautiful places to remember.
But some of my most meaningful experiences happened in ordinary rooms, during conversations, through small acts of generosity, or beside someone who simply needed company.
Bob taught me that a place becomes meaningful not only because of what we see there, but also because of the people we meet.
Beautiful places can capture our hearts. Beautiful people can change them.
And sometimes, when we’re starting over, the kindness of another person is what makes an unfamiliar place begin to feel like home.
Who Has Left a Beautiful Mark on Your Life?
Perhaps someone came into your life when you needed encouragement.
Maybe it was a friend who listened, a colleague who believed in you, a stranger who offered kindness, or someone whose presence made a difficult season easier.
Perhaps that person is no longer with you.
But the kindness they gave remains part of your story.
We spend so much of our lives thinking about what comes next that we sometimes forget to appreciate the people who have helped us get this far.
Bob’s story reminds me to notice those people while I still can.
And to remember them with gratitude when I no longer can.
Because a meaningful life isn’t only about the places we go or the dreams we achieve. It’s also about the love and kindness we give and receive along the way.
Notice the Beauty Already in Your Life
Sometimes, another person’s story helps us remember our own.
A kindness we never forgot.
A conversation that changed something in us.
Someone who made us feel that we belonged.
These are the moments we can easily overlook when life becomes busy.
It’s also why I created The Beauty Around You: A 7-Day Journey to Slow Down and Notice More.
Through seven days of gentle reflection and writing prompts, I invite you to notice the beauty and meaning already present in your everyday life.
Perhaps you’ll remember someone who helped you through a difficult season.
Or discover that an ordinary moment you’ve almost forgotten was more meaningful than you realized.
→ Begin Your Free 7-Day Journey
And if you’ve ever felt that life was passing while you were waiting for something bigger to happen, you might also enjoy When I Didn’t Care to Notice: The Years I Spent Waiting for Life to Begin.
Continue Your Journey
Explore Beautiful Places
Discover the Ontario places that have become part of my journey, and the stories that made them memorable.
Discover Everyday Beauty
Sometimes beauty isn’t something we see. It’s found in kindness, shared moments and the people who make ordinary days meaningful.
Reflect on Meaningful Stories
Explore more personal stories about starting over, finding belonging, navigating change and discovering meaning in the experiences that shape our lives.