He was the kind of man who never had a good word to say about anybody. His face was so often frowning, it seemed stuck that way. He would sit on his porch and glare at the world, and everyone - even children, even animals - knew to give him a wide berth when they walked down the street.

And yet every month, a letter arrived in his mailbox, confirming the deposit of his stock dividends to one of a dozen charities supporting education and the arts throughout the world. He never told anyone about this. I suppose that's how he liked it.