The last week was tough. Too many tragedies. Earthquake in New Zealand, killing many; unrest in the Middle East, resulting in deaths in Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Tunisia, Iraq, I could go on and on.....and closer to home, two 49-year-old men with significant impacts on their communities.
The first, Steve Rinke, Arkansas broadcaster of note, sports fanatic, news scoop and doting dad, died Wednesday. He was working right up to his last breath, collapsing in the production suite while doing what he loved best. Tragically, two coworkers tried very hard to revive him while the ambulance crew were on their way, but it was too late for Steve. He'd suffered a massive heart attack, and it was mercifully quick. His death was immediately felt among the broadcasting community, almost as acutely as it was felt within Steve's family. We were his second family. You just don't realize how hard someone works and how much someone really does until they're not there to do it anymore. And with Steve, it wouldn't be speculation to say stress played a major role in his demise. You see, a person really can be spread too thin. And he sure was....Steve had a morning show on KQBK Kool! 104.7, did news updates, weather updates, special features, and tons of sports programming for the 5-station cluster Pharis Broadcasting. He'd also been the radio voice of the Southside Rebels. Most importantly, though, he was a dad. Every minute he wasn't working (and sometimes even when he was) was spent with his son Connor, whom he cherished and doted on all the time. He always had some new Connor story to tickle your funny bone, and Connor was never far away from Steve at any given time. In his studio and office, the minute you walked in you knew Steve was a dad. His funeral was tough, even though we had a few laughs and saw some friends we hadn't seen in a while. I left the radio cluster for another station a year and a half ago, but I still considered Steve a friend. I stay in pretty regular contact with my friends who work there, and it was in this way that I found out what had happened to poor Steve. What hurt me the most about his funeral was seeing Connor up-close after the service. He'd grown a lot since I'd seen him last...and he had the beginnings of a moustache! My goodness, he's the same age as my son T.J.! Has it really been that long since I'd seen the kid? It made me cry to see him more than it did to look down and see Steve in his casket. I hope his family surrounds Connor with all the love they have, because the boy's sure gonna need it to fill in the gaping hole Steve has left behind in his heart.
The second man who passed away was Mr. David Warren, husband, father, and dedicated long-time educator. He died Thursday after suffering a concussion from a slip-and-fall accident there at the school. He was my son's 5th grade language arts teacher first, then his 7th grade science teacher. He was so enthusiastic about science and learning in general. A great educator, and a fair and good man. T.J. was friends with and in Gifted/Talented with Mr. Warren's son Rush. I can't imagine being a 7th-grader and losing your dad. I told T.J. that Rush is really going to need all the friends he can get right now, and I hope they can all rally around him and let him know they're there for him. Mountainburg's school system will still be reeling from his loss years from now, I'm sure.
So, 49 is too young to die. Everyone please take care of yourselves, and remember not to spread yourself too thin. Learn to say no once in a while and get some rest. And exercise. I'm going to...I'm in my thirties and never thought I'd have health problems, but I can already feel them creeping up on me when I'm not looking. Now's the time to be proactive about my health. That said, I think I'll go have a little breakfast with my toddler and go for a walk.
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