Three friends gone, but not forgotten

April has been a very tough month.
Two of my best buddies passed away, along with a friend whom I held in very high esteem for many years. I guess it's that time of life when you don't like to admit it but Father Time is catching up with us.
Bob Rodgers, 89, of Brookfield, and Jack Baugh, 70, of Hermitage, were two associates whom I'll remember always. The other was Harold Stevenson who I met years ago when his son, Jim, and daughter, Patty, were performing with the famed musical group, The Varatones.
If there are two things you could say about each, it would be that they were great family men, all God-fearing who raised and loved their children the way they were supposed to be raised and loved. Today, their children stand as monuments of their parents' will. They are exactly what their fathers would have wanted, a very proud plus in any community.
Bob, Jack and Harold had another resemblance. They were all athletically inclined in one way or another.
Bob was a motorcycle man. He loved his cycles and auto racing. He once drove his Harley all the way to Daytona Beach, Fla., to the first Bike Week in 1940. Strike up a conversation about auto racing and Bob was a friend for life. He was just a great guy to be around. Our sympathy to Bob's beautiful wife, Rosemary, and to their children, Sherry, Bob and Terry.
Jack was a football nut. He graduated from Hickory High School in 1951 where he played football and he never lost his love for the sport, attending as many Hickory High games as he could each season with his wife, Betty.
I first met Jack when we were playing softball in the Suburban League. He was a pitcher for the New Virginia United Methodist Church team and in later years I discovered that Jack was the guy who helped organize the team. We've been friends ever since and our wives were schoolmates.
Our condolences to wife, Betty; daughter, Kathleen, and son, Doug and to Jack's many friends and relatives.
Harold was a friend of many, too. He and his late wife were members of the Friday Night Mixed Golf League at Tam O'Shanter Golf Course.
In his younger years he was an outstanding basketball player and loved sports in general. But one of his greatest loves was dancing to the music provided by Jim and Patty.
Real ringer
One thing about this sports business, you make an awful lot of friends. And one of my oldest is stepping down as athletic director at Mercer High School.
Hugh Ringer is retiring after 20-plus years. He has been with the school district for 34 years and he is finishing June 4. His replacement will be Ronald Rowe, 34, who is currently Mercer High assistant principal.
Hugh is one of the most dedicated men I've ever met and needless to say one of the most loyal. Mercer High has been very fortunate to have had the caliber of man they have had in Hugh all these years. I remember covering Mercer basketball games years ago when Coach John Swogger was at the helm of the Mustangs. Leading the Mustangs into the floor at the start of the game was none other than Hugh Ringer. He carried his banner high.
In addition to his AD tasks, Hugh instituted the speech team which has grown to become one of the finest in the state. It's been his baby all the way and it shows. He will continue to lead the speech team even after he retires.
Ringer's knowledge of sports is second to none. At one time he was a member of the board of directors of the Mercer County Hall of Fame. His duties at Mercer became more consistent and the Hall of Fame board made him an Honorary Member.
For years, too, Hugh was the announcer at the W.U. Hoyle Junior Basketball Tournament in the Sharon area.