Thursday, August 7, 2008
I feel terrible due to schedule conflicts that I was not able to be at Hal's memorial service. I worked with Hal for two and a half years while I was a reporter at the Shoreline Newspapers and while we never worked directly with each other, we knew each other well. He was one of, if not the, hardest working people in the office, if not the business. His writing was made all the better by his true passion for sports. He had the rare opportunity to spend his life writing about what he loved, heart and soul.
I will remember the little things about Hal - the candy he kept on his desk that kept me going on late nights, his little acts of kindness that would come up out of nowhere. I remember one time when I had been yelled at by one of my superiors for something that really wasn't by fault, Hal came up and told me that I was a great reporter anyway and I should keep my chin up. He would comment on stories he liked of mine every so often, and though his personality could be gruff, at times like that it would be tempered with an incredibly kind smile.
Hal will always hold a special place in my memory. I wish only the best for his family and friends as they handle this difficult time.
