The Debaters Lose One...

[pcdeatherage]

"As L. Scott Deatherage lay ailing at Northwestern Memorial Hospital after a heart attack, the electronic drumbeat began. Across the globe, former students of the legendary debate coach at Northwestern University began texting, e-mailing and telephoning. They called his hospital room from Hong Kong, Harvard University, California, Colorado. Some drove in or flew in from Michigan, Minnesota, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C..."

Sun-Times, L Scott Deatherage 1962-2009

Chicago Tribune

Baby brother Scott and I were never close...you can actually count on one hand the number of times we saw him in the last 30 years...but we did get updates...

first in our family to graduate college (Baylor), ok, that was a given but still pretty impressive for us at the time...
Northwestern University? Where the heck is that? Oh, well that's cool...
Masters? no way...yep way...guess he was smarter that we thought! chuckle...
PHD? Yep, beaming with pride, that's our boy...our own Dr Death...
champion coach - against the likes of Hardvard no less...twice in a row? (not realizing it would be 7 out of 13 w/double back to backs) wow the kid's doing good...
Coach of the Decade...Decade? Holy Moses...

So some days like the one in '08 when we saw him last at a rare family reunion, you sit and wonder why you don't do this more often...

Then ironically enough, after seeing just how much a positive difference in so many lives, I don't think I'd want to change a thing...

Peace be with you my friend..