.

.

     

LUKE A. DUDEK: Keeping the Tide In

 

Luke A. Dudek was forever proud to work at Windows on the World, where he was the food and beverage controller. He had a knack for numbers. Naturally, given the environment, he delighted in fine wine, and it was his custom when his wine glass was empty to remark to the waiter, "My tide is out."

But his special joy was Coqui Designs, the flower business he owned with his life partner, George A. Cuellar. (Coqui is Mr. Cuellar's nickname.) Mr. Cuellar operated the place and was the creative mind behind the designs they did for stores like Bloomingdale's and Gucci, and for countless weddings. The numbers, though, were the province of Mr. Dudek, 50. "He did the books," Mr. Cuellar said. "He did my taxes. He even delivered flowers on the weekends and did weddings. I called him the core of the apple."

The two had always wanted to own their own building. In May, they bought a building in Cedar Grove, N.J., to move the store to. They spent the summer renovating. To do the final touches, Mr. Dudek recently devoted a week's vacation to the store. His first day back at Windows on the World was Sept. 11.

.

From "Profiles in Grief" of The New York Times