Tell about your personal heros (real or fictional) and a bit about why. I have a ton, so I'll be contributing to this (and editing it) for a long while as time allows. I hope others get the opportunity to do the same.

First and foremost: My Dad
He's honest, hard-working, level-headed, diplomatic, selfless and an exemplary "people person". Growing up it was impossible to go anywhere without running into somebody who knew him and was excited to greet him. He taught me the grace in entertaining guests and humility in offering to them what you had -- no matter how small or large. He taught me all the useful stuff to break and fix around the house, how to maximize gas mileage by coasting everywhere, and how underrated cheap Nevada beer is. When I totaled my [uncle's] car, he was by FAR the first one on the scene -- getting there in less than half the time it took the cops. Not only that, but he drove my wrecked, three-wheeled boomerang home that night (and gave me his car) -- saving me the cost, time, and trauma of a tow that night. He brought me my puppy, helped me find my Integra, and introduced me to The Who. Can't say enough great things about him, but I really respect, admire, and love my father in a way that all the words in the world couldn't begin to express. I'm proud to have him as a role model and hero. Cheers! (But NOT with that awful, awful Cuervo that he insists on drinking! Blegh!)