It Was Twenty Years Ago Today.....

November 10, 1999 is one of the top ten most important days of my life.

Driving to a wedding planning meeting today, I was reminded of this, the 20th anniversary of two huge events. First, and foremost, my son accepted Jesus as his Savior on this night two decades ago. That is everything.

But I want to focus on what else happened to me that day. For the first time, I stepped into the magical building on Church Hill that, today, houses ChildSavers, but, at the time, hosted WRVA and WRNL Radio and the Virginia Radio Network.

One Sunday in October, I happened to notice a help wanted ad in the Sunday paper (remember them?) that said WRVA was in need of a production director. Now, at the time, I was very, very happy as a pastor of a church in Prince George County, and the stay-at-home dad of a second grader and a two year old cutie in the midst of potty training.

I will squelch the theory now that I went for the job to avoid the potty training.  :)

I decided to throw my hat into the ring, and, a couple of weeks later, was stunned to stand in my kitchen, on the telephone that was on the wall (remember them?), talking to Program Director Tim Farley.

He offered. I accepted. Let the pinching begin.

I took a tour on November 3rd and met most everyone. A week later, on a Wednesday, because I had promised to chaperone Robbie's field trip earlier in the week and kept that promise, I walked into the entrance from the parking lot into the storied building.

Tim Timberlake and John Harding were on the morning show. Big Al was cooking sports on 910. I went to the restroom, had a seat, and asked out loud (I think), "What in the world am I doing here?" I was a Miami Marlin utility player about to bat ninth for the New York Yankees, if that analogy makes sense.

My office was next to Lou Dean's office. How's that for pressure? I took a deep breath, and I jumped into the proverbial puddle with both feet. The holiday season was upon us, and there was no time to waste. I learned DGS, watched people use the digital editing equipment I'd never touched before, taught myself the rest of it through trial and error, immersed myself into traffic instructions and production orders and typing cart labels (radio people, remember them?).

Within two weeks, it was home. That production studio quickly became, to me, like the most comfortable pair of shoes you've ever worn.

And this MUST be said. I've worked at several different radio "groups" over 34 years. The least amount of egos were found on Church Hill. Most people would think it would be the opposite. But no way. Lou, Tim, Tim, John, Pam, Veronica, Deanna, Gary, Al, Bob, Bob, and I could go on and on, all were helpful, hospitable, and became friends.

Nancy and Carol became my rock. Jeanette, Amber....my mind is racing around the top floor of the building for all the great people who treated me so, so well. Joan, Todd, Ken, Carl, June, Holly, Missy, Maureen, Rick, John....

My blessing had an unfortunate side, as, nine months later, I watched Clear Channel (that's "iHeartMedia" for those of you under 25) completely dismantle a heritage station weeks before it celebrated its 75th anniversary on the air. That's a huge deal. The corporate suits completely ignored it, killed local talk at night, and thought Phil Hendrie was the answer.

WRVA has never recovered. In the last 20 years, our region has essentially been renamed "RVA". Everyone uses it from media to businesses, to even me (see: RVA Sports Network). This should position WRVA perfectly to be a go-to source for information, right?

Not when you load up on syndicated talk, lean to one political side, and get your local talent to talk more about Trump than what's happening in our city. But I digress.

Tonight, I focus on what began for me twenty years ago and how it continues to pay dividends long after I was let go in the great Clear Channel bloodletting of 2007. I have friends for life, experience I continue to use on podcasts from my home, football games on the radio, and other things.

And, as an added bonus, I can say my office was next to Lou Dean's office. Can you say that?

My deepest thanks to Mr. Farley, and everyone from Church Hill, for giving me an opportunity of a lifetime and making a dream truly come true. (My brother, myself, and my father in the WRVA production studio, circa 2000).

Rob's Fearless (And Always Wrong) NFL Predictions: 2019 Edition

We screw it up every year, so it's time to take a few mindless minutes, check out what I have to say about the upcoming NFL season (which will play in the background of my life as I concentrate on Randolph-Macon College and high school football) below.

We'll begin with the NFC, because, why not?

NFC EAST:

1) Dallas Cowboys (10-6): No wild card teams out of this division of dysfunction. Thus, we give the Cowboys the benefit of the doubt thanks to a much lesser version of a "Big Three" in Prescott, Elliott and Cooper. Zeke will be back, but only Dallas gets to double digit wins in this division, half of their ten wins, however, will be in division.

2) Washington Redskins (7-9): Their defense will carry the day. Derrius Guice could be very promising, should he stay healthy. But with the quarterback position, again, in transition, and Trent Williams nowhere to be found, Washington better run the football 40 times a game. Will it be enough to finally see Jay Gruden leave? That remains to be seen.

3) Philadelphia Eagles (6-10): A fragile quarterback. Who runs the ball? Plus, the Eagles used up their nine lives in their Super Bowl run of two seasons ago. This franchise takes a step back this year and will need to go into 2020 figuring out their true identity.

4) New York Giants (5-11): Saquon can't do everything. Eli will do better than most people think he will, but, eventually, if you think Daniel Jones is the future, you give him his shot, just as Eli got his in 2004 from a gracious Kurt Warner. The Giants' biggest issue is defense. They are alleged to have one.

NFC NORTH:

1) Green Bay Packers (10-6): New coach, inspired quarterback? Aaron Rodgers will be just fine, but who's around him? Can he identify his skilled teammates? Will he be running for his life? And will the Packers have any semblance of a decent defense? In a division where Detroit is falling apart, Minnesota has the ultimate mediocre quarterback, and Chicago has inflated hopes, I'll take Rodgers. But he'd better hurry if he wants a second Lombardi.

2) Chicago Bears (9-7): Trubisky and company come to earth and, despite great efforts by their defense (which is excellent), don't be surprised if they lose with scores like 16-13, 17-10, 20-14. The Bears will be in the wild card mix down the stretch, but finding points may be an issue all season long.

3) Minnesota Vikings (7-9): Two years ago with Case Keenum, they're in the NFC Championship Game. They thank Keenum for his work, sign Kirk Cousins, and immediately flounder. Cousins is not a quarterback who will provide your franchise that longed for championship. Don't be surprised if there are trade rumors, or first round quarterback talk for the 2020 Draft, after this season.

4) Detroit Lions (3-13): You have to wonder what life could have been like for Matthew Stafford had he been born a year earlier or later. But, he's the top guy when the historically bad Lions (coming off their 0-16 season of 2008) are picking first. Every year I hear the Lions are ready, the Lions made some good moves in March and April. How about some moves into the end zone that matter in December? I feel sorry for Stafford.

NFC SOUTH:

1) New Orleans Saints (13-3): They can fold like a cheap tent after two punches to the gut in the last two playoffs, or they can rise up, as their city did over a decade ago, and give it another shot. It will be the latter as Drew Brees is smart enough to know his window is closer to closed than wide open. Alvin Kamara, if used right, and healthy all year, could be the Offensive Player of The Year. If New Orleans gets decent defense, and good offensive line work, the road to Miami may be going through New Orleans.

2) Atlanta Falcons (9-7): Though several years younger than Brees, you get the feeling the Matt Ryan window is starting to close, too. But he's got Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley. If he has four seconds in the pocket most plays, Ryan could honestly complete 75 percent of his passes. But they need offensive balance, and definitely better defensive play. Overall, the Falcons need consistency, in all three phases.

3) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-10): I love Bruce Arians. If he had a real franchise quarterback in Tampa Bay, I would consider this team for a playoff spot. I can't see Jameis Winston doing it. But Arians will get the most out of his team, make them better, prepare them for 2020, and then deal with the big question: what do we do at quarterback?

4) Carolina Panthers (5-11): Cam Newton isn't one hundred percent. This could be a very, very long season in Charlotte.

NFC WEST:

1) Seattle Seahawks (11-5): A rejuvenated defense with some studs, a winner in Russell Wilson, and, if the team can gel quickly (Pete Carroll is good at making that happen), I think Seattle surprises this season. The 12th Man is awakened.

2) Los Angeles Rams (9-7): They are good, but there is a hangover coming for the Super Bowl runners-up. Three points in the Super Bowl? Is Todd Gurley ever going to be Gurley again? A Wade Phillips led defense is always good, but, with a first place schedule, and having to play some physical AFC North opponents this year, they're in the wild card hunt, simply trying to not be one of those teams to lose the Super Bowl one year, and miss the playoffs the next.

3) Arizona Cardinals (5-11): Nobody sees anything out of Chicago....ah, St. Louis.....err....Arizona. But give me a season of Larry Fitzgerald mentoring Kyler Murray. Then, a few years later should the Cardinals win it all, Fitzgerald, retired by then, would deserve a ring. I'm looking forward to watching the beginnings of what should be a very good team by 2021 or 2022.

4) San Francisco 49ers (4-12): Jimmy G. is not the answer. Nor is Kyle Shanahan. This will be a bitterly disappointing season for the Niners, who, again, will have to start from scratch some 40 years after starting from scratch with a guy named Bill Walsh.

NFC PLAYOFF TEAMS:

NFC EAST: Dallas
NFC NORTH: Green Bay
NFC SOUTH: New Orleans
NFC WEST: Seattle
WILD CARDS: Chicago, Atlanta

#1 Seed: New Orleans
#2 Seed: Seattle

WILD CARD WEEKEND:
#6 Chicago d. #3 Green Bay
#5 Atlanta d. #4 Dallas

NFC DIVISIONALS:
#1 New Orleans d. #6 Chicago
#2 Seattle d. #5 Atlanta

NFC CHAMPIONSHIP: #1 New Orleans 28, #2 Seattle 24

*************************

AFC EAST:

1) New England Patriots (14-2): Have you studied the Patriots' schedule? They get the Steelers and Chiefs at home. The Chiefs game is the first of three out of four at home to end the season (the others are divisional games in Weeks 16 and 17). This is a cake walk for the Patriots to, again, get the top seed in the AFC.

2) New York Jets (7-9): The Jets are the only team that could spring an upset of the Patriots in the division. Obviously, I'm rooting for new GM Joe Douglas (Lee-Davis Athletic Hall of Famer) to do well, and, of course, I'm ready for my first Greg Dortch punt return for a touchdown (and yes, it will happen in 2019!) Darnold will improve, but Bell will be a disappointment.

3) Buffalo Bills (6-10): It's Buffalo. What can I say?

4) Miami Dolphins (3-13): Talk about a team in disarray. Ryan Fitzpatrick will start well, then get interception prone, and they'll turn to Josh Rosen and wish they could turn to someone else....

AFC NORTH:

1) Pittsburgh Steelers (11-5): All this Cleveland talk is nauseating. Big Ben has plenty of weapons and fewer distractions and, more importantly, they know how to win. They'll need better defensive play this season to get to this predicted record.

2) Baltimore Ravens (8-8): This prediction is all about whether Lamar Jackson becomes a real dual-threat quarterback. If he has to improvise all the time due to lack of pressure, or receivers who can't get separation, and this could get sideways. Fast.

3) Cleveland Browns (7-9): Overrated. Plain and simple. Freddie Kitchens will be worried more each week about taking care of his plethora of divas from Mayfield to Beckham, et al, as opposed to X's and O's. They'd better be 4-2 or better at the bye week, because New England looms next. I think they are 3-4 after a New England loss. Let the finger pointing begin.

4) Cincinnati Bengals (4-12): Oh, this is so disappointing. Who knew that when the Bengals ran into the tunnel at Heinz Field after an interception with a minute to go, thinking they'd won, only to end up losing that game, that was the start of their fall, and the end of the Dalton/Green era. Andy doesn't have AJ to start the season and, by the time he returns, it may be too late. Is Ryan Finley the goods?

AFC SOUTH:

1) Indianapolis Colts (9-7): Yes, the Colts. The Captain on Twitter has gone home (I salute Andrew, by the way. It's his life, let him live it). Why can't Jacoby Brissett play well enough to get this team to a winning record, which will be enough for the division? Running and defense are huge factors, and I want to see Mo Alie-Cox get 40 plus catches and six touchdowns. Alie-Cox and Brissett could become the surprise combination of the league.

2) Tennessee Titans (8-8): Derrick Henry finally shows his goods late last year. The problem here is quarterback. Like in Philadelphia, the Titans can't get a full season out of Marcus Mariota. Ryan Tannehill isn't the answer. Two games in three weeks with Houston down the stretch could be key to a late playoff push.

3) Jacksonville Jaguars (6-10): No, Nick Foles doesn't have magic outside the Eagles locker room. The dysfunctional team of 2018 will be pushed hard by the Browns for that title, but the Jags won't be pushing for the AFC South crown.

4) Houston Texans (6-10): Way too many changes. Way too many. My AFC pick for the Super Bowl last year severely disappointed, and now it seems like they're pushing the panic button over and over.

AFC WEST:

1) Kansas City Chiefs (13-3): So, home-field advantage comes down to a loss in New England in the regular season. There's not much left to say here other than Patrick Mahomes, blazing speed at the skill positions, and Dee Ford can't line up in the neutral zone this year.

2) Los Angeles Chargers (10-6): Lots of issues here, but Philip Rivers can handle a revolving door since he lives with such a large family every day. Imagine if they had Okung, Gordon, etc....

3) Oakland Raiders (6-10): A little improvement, but not enough for a postseason bid. I'm still not happy about the Jon Gruden hiring.

4) Denver Broncos (5-11): Joe Flacco isn't the answer. Von Miller will be a frustrated man this year. Times will be tough in Denver.

AFC PLAYOFF TEAMS:

AFC EAST: New England
AFC NORTH: Pittsburgh
AFC SOUTH: Indianapolis
AFC WEST: Kansas City
WILD CARDS: LA Chargers, Tennessee

#1 Seed: New England
#2 Seed: Kansas City

WILD CARD WEEKEND:
#3 Pittsburgh d. #6 Tennessee
#5 LA Chargers d. #4 Indianapolis

AFC DIVISIONALS:
#1 New England d. #5 LA Chargers
#2 Kansas City d. #3 Pittsburgh

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP: #1 New England 31, #2 Kansas City 28


**********

SUPER BOWL LIV: New Orleans 27, New England 24: 

The Patriots are back in Miami and in the big game again, but this time, the younger quarterback in his forties gets the better of his elder, and Brees finally lifts a second Lombardi, prompting speculation that he might ride off into the sunset, and also prompting speculation on how Brady can rebound and return to the Super Bowl, again, in 2020.

**********

2020 NFL DRAFT ORDER:

1) Miami
2) Detroit
3) Cincinnati
4) San Francisco
5) Denver

Full Circle: Tragedy To Triumph

Saturday May 18, 2019 marks two major events in the life of my branch of the Witham family tree.

On the 35th anniversary of my father's surgery for a brain aneurysm, his granddaughter, who was born on his 65th birthday, February 26, 1997, will receive her Bachelor's Degree in Theatre Education (with a History Minor) from Longwood University on what promises to be a hot, humid day in Farmville, Virginia.

Any discomfort during the course of the three-hour ceremony will pale in comparison to the outright fear felt 35 years before.

I distinctly remember walking into Dad's hospital room as he waited to be sent to surgery prep, because, in typical Dad form, the words to come out of his mouth were, "What are you doing here?"

It was a Friday. Thus, I should have been in school. I don't exactly remember my reply, but it was a very respectful version of, "you actually thought I was going to school today?"

The next 12-14 hours were spent, you guessed it, mostly waiting. My brother and I played a lot of games of "Dots" on notebook paper.

The odds were split. There was a chance he wouldn't survive the surgery. There was a chance he would, but there would be minor, or, major changes to him, none of which could accurately be predicted, or, he could come out with flying colors.

We finally saw him late, late that Friday night, in ICU with wires and tubes coming from just about any location the human body could house them. He was alive, and all he could worry about, and tell us, was having to use the bathroom. We tried to explain that he had a catheter, so go for it. So, I remember leaving St. Luke's Hospital (today it is Parham Doctors) happy that he pulled through, but unsure how he would be comprised.

Saturday went well, and I did go to work. I worked Sunday after helping lead church service on what was supposed to be Dad's 20th anniversary there. Instead, he spent that day having a seizure on the other side of his brain, and being rushed back into ICU where he slipped into a coma.

That's how he was when I saw him Sunday night. I remember driving up to the Hardee's at Parham and Staples Mill and eating because I needed to, my mind six million miles, or more like 1.2 miles, away.

My stepmom and I did what you always do in life or death situations once we were both back home. We trotted the window air conditioning units from the basement and set them up in our rooms for the summer. We were late getting that done that year. Dad had always taken care of it.

Monday morning, back to St. Luke's, visiting Dad and being mindful of the fact that someone in a coma still has that subconscious tape recorder on. So we talked about the Boston Celtics' run in the NBA playoffs and everything possible that was positive. Then, back to Patrick Henry for the first time in nearly a week, since I had been on a field trip to the University of Richmond in the two days before his surgery.

In the end, the coma ended within 24 hours, Dad was out of ICU by that Friday and was up trying to walk a little bit by Memorial Day. By then, however, it was becoming clear that he was not the "Dad" I knew.

His final 29 years (he passed away on October 2, 2013) were spent remembering what he did as an eight year old and having no clue what he ate for breakfast. A once stoic man who showed little emotion now cried at the drop of a hat. There were times in the early days after several weeks of in-patient therapy at Sheltering Arms that he would start pounding his fist against his head, just wanting to die, so frustrated that he couldn't be himself. It was heartbreaking and exhausting for the rest of us, but we kept fighting so that he, too, would fight.

Some of my best memories of that subsequent summer was taking him back and forth, three times weekly, to outpatient therapy at Sheltering Arms. I enjoyed our car conversations. I also enjoyed getting to go up to Azalea Mall during his therapy and playing Moon Patrol at Woolworth's.  :)

*****

Now we fast forward to 2019. After four long, sometimes exceedingly difficult years, Rachel Elizabeth Witham will do something that no one else in this branch of our family has done. Not even me.

She will graduate high school, enroll in college, and graduate with her Bachelor's Degree in four years.

My college degree was delayed for over a decade (I earned my Bachelor's in 1998, 13 years after high school), thus, she will have one up on me, and will never let me forget it. :)

It is also important to note that Dad, a semester shy of his college degree, left New England School of Theology to move back home to Maine to work, as the oldest son, after his Dad (whom I never met) took off and never returned. Family first. Dad never had the opportunity to finish that semester. However......

The cute freckle-faced, red-haired wonder that shares a birthday with her Papa will force May 18 to become a day a shared emotions. We will celebrate this incredible accomplishment (and trust me, you don't know the inside story of just how difficult it has been for Rachel to get to this point), knowing that Papa would be exceedingly proud as well, as would her Nana, who adored Rachel, but only got to cherish her on this earth for a little less than six years.

I've had a lot of "proud Dad" moments from both of my kids, especially (thank you son!!) the arrival of Robert Edward Witham, IV 16 months ago.

May 18, 2019 will rank high on that list. It was also mark a turning of the page. My son is 27, a father, a husband, while my daughter, at 22, will have a college degree, just got her first car payment, and will soon land her first career job.

You NEVER stop being a parent, but the age of changing diapers, signing permission slips, chaperoning field trips and going to watch high school musicals and choral concerts are done.

And, thus, on this "Full Circle Saturday", May 18, 2019, the date etched on an art display Rachel set up the day she moved into Longwood as a freshman on August 20, 2015, I thank the following:

--God, for allowing me to live to see this day

--Dad, for being willing to share his birthday with a pretty smart cookie

--Dr. Robert Singer and staff at St. Luke's Hospital and the staff at Sheltering Arms Hospital from 1984

--Rachel, for being motivated by many factors, including beating my high school GPA in college  :)

--Harry J., for spending what I am sure were many lonely nights sleeping in his bed on the floor next to my bed wondering where his Mom was going for weeks at a time. He finally got to visit, understand, and he'll earn a degree in "Human Studies" on Saturday. He also got to be the BMOC, as seen by a picture below.  :)

--Our North Carolina family for their unwavering and incredible support for Rachel over the past four years. We will never forget it. :)

*****

On a final note, I will also take time Saturday to remember my very first friend, Michael Crisp, who would have turned 52 years old. We lost him tragically in 2003. I miss him, Dad, Mama, my stepmom, my sister, and my grandparents, all who played a role, big or small, in making May 18, 2019 a reality.

Farewell, Farmville. Tomorrow.

Nick Liberante: An Appreciation

I had been properly warned.

"He's the hardest teacher you'll ever have."

"You'll never get an 'A'."

"Good luck."

Nick Liberante's educational reputation proceeded him. And on August 29, 1983, I encountered a man for the first time who would change my life in ways I could not imagine then, and still cannot fully capture on this, the night of his passing from cancer.

The best way to describe being taught by Nick Liberante was that you were in the presence of the most "complex simplicity" you'll ever experience. A man who was so simple in appearance, a man who never, ever threw his amazing intelligence and depth of knowledge in your face, a man who prepared thoroughly, taught with an uncanny balance of understanding and humor while challenging everything you ever thought, or thought you knew.

His love for the work of Henry David Thoreau was legendary. So was "the red pen".

As the assigned papers were returned to me in English my junior year, the red ink flowed. It did so for good reason. As I texted someone tonight, I felt like I couldn't write complete sentences until I sat under Nick Liberante.

His earned reputation for being a "difficult" (in the positive sense) teacher was spot on. But as the year continued, I really began to understand why he did what he did, and I began to soak it all in. No, I never earned an "A" in the two years I sat in his room, listening to a professor at the high school level, not on official Hanover County Public Schools report cards, that is.

Instead, I happily traded a "B" in English 11, and the only "C" I ever had in school, in 12th grade Advanced Novel, for a lifelong lesson in critical thinking, looking at the full picture, understanding the perspective of others, and, most of all, respect.

*******

If you called him then, or call him even today, "Mr. Liberante", chances are you were never his student.

As year one yielded to year two, and I, someone who generally doesn't enjoy reading novels or books (yes, you read that right), opted for, yes, an ELECTIVE class in Advanced Novel, a year filled with reading books and writing reports, over and over, doing so for just one reason.

I had to sit in Nick's classroom again. I needed more.

By then, he was "Nick". This was in no way disrespectful to my elder. He embraced the fact that many students like me, who so deeply appreciated him, his work, his candor, his honesty and his intelligence, spoke to him that way because he was kind enough to treat us, not as equals, but as humans on the verge of adulthood, readying to tackle the challenges of the world.

There's no way I can count how many Mello Yello canned drinks and creme twirls I threw down in first period, listening to him over a seventeen-year old's abhorrent choice of breakfast foods.

His room, and specifically around his desk, became an inner sanctum for conversation prior to class, discussing the events of the day, whether it was school events or the NCAA Tournament. He was ready for anything. He also deeply appreciated the fact that this next generation thought it so cool to hang out with him.

We all knew we were sitting at the feet of Mount Liberante, and we soaked in every moment.

I had no idea that I would get a second chance at a brush with greatness, but I did.

*******

Fast forward to late 2011. I was struggling with a myriad of health issues (many of which continue to this day) and reached an unwanted crossroads in my life. I was able to fulfill my high school football commitment on radio that fall, and, through the radio station, was introduced to a wonderful gentleman named Greg Glassner, at the time the editor of the Hanover Herald-Progress.

He learned of me through his weekly Friday visits to WHAN (now The Mater) to do an on-air segment of what was in the latest edition of the newspaper. He reached out asking if I would write articles on the games I broadcast. I was happy to do so.

And, when I was forced to leave a full-time position I adored at the end of that year because I was simply too sick to continue, I, on a whim, told Greg I'd be more available should he need more writing. I needed work that my body could handle.

Thus began a six plus year odyssey with the newspaper, and my now forever association with sports in Hanover County. But there was a major bonus.

His main photographer was Nick Liberante.

We had seen each other a few teams over the years at Patrick Henry games, he shooting on the sidelines as I would bloviate in the press box. But now, we became a team. Nick shoots, I write.

By 2012, Nick was the ultimate pro. He could get the money shot before the end of the first quarter, and happily be at home before halftime. I, of course, needed to hang around for the final score. :)

We began planning our weeks. Who do we cover? How do we provide fair coverage of all four schools (when did Atlee and Hanover show up??), plus Randolph-Macon College? Through it all, he was, again, the guiding and calming force, and the master of finding the moment which fit the narrative.

All those years later, we were tag team partners. He was Batman, I was Robin. I always knew, and loved, the pecking order. By now, he was in his final years at Patrick Henry. We had heart attacks in common, and he always had sage advice on keeping the body, as well as the mind, healthy.

Once in a while, I would get a congratulatory email or text from him on a story. No one could send me a higher compliment, no smile I could crack would ever be wider.

The first two get well cards I received after my 2013 heart attack were from the Atlee Softball team, and Nick Liberante. I still have them.

Our run ended when the Herald-Progress inexplicably ended their photographer position in 2016. I mean, who thinks a newspaper is good without pictures?  I shook my head and warned them as they now asked me for pictures (for free, of course) that Nick was the maestro. They traded a master photographer for a picture taker.

When the Herald-Progress ended in March, 2018, a thankful Rob moved over to where Nick landed at Richmond Suburban Newspapers. A reunion was on the horizon. But then life gets in the way. His battle for his life had begun.

In the end, we did get to do several games together for the Local, and if my memory serves me correctly tonight, the last time we were together was over the winter in the gym at, you guessed it, Patrick Henry.

**********

I grieve tonight for his family, especially his grandchildren. He loved them in a way I cannot describe. Our conversations about his trips to watch them and their young adventures were priceless, a final lesson bestowed to me as I began my grandparent journey just over a year ago.

Tonight, I am so thankful for so many things about Nicholas Liberante.

I am thankful for having "Nick" as not just a "teacher", but as a life guide.
I am thankful for his incredible generosity to me in word and in deed, for 35 years.
I am thankful for that "complex simplicity" I wrote about earlier, and the incredible depth of life he lived.
I am thankful for the example of how to never quit thinking, considering, wondering. Keep learning.
I am thankful that he embodied "pay it forward" many years before it even became a catch phrase.

And I am most thankful to have been allowed in to his exclusive fraternity of "Si, Fi, Simplify!"

***********

I leave you with four pictures. The first is Nick, in his inner sanctum of learning, caught in a moment that perfectly explains how much fun we had in his classroom no matter how hard the work was, which only added to the grandeur of his legend. The next two explain how he looked through the lens, always looking for complexities in simple events like celebrating a win, or waiting for an umpire to make a call.

The final shot he took one Friday night several years ago of my daughter Rachel, who, next month, will become the first Witham in portion of the family tree to graduate high school, then graduate college four years later. She'll have a degree in theatre education. She knew Nick long enough to understand why we shed tears while we smile tonight. And if Rachel touches a tenth of the number of students that Nick, a Buffalo, New York native who transformed literally thousands of lives at an unassuming rural high school just outside Ashland, Virginia, did, she will have done quite well.

Rest well, my friend, until we meet again.  :)