On Tap Award: Sorry to See You Go
My selection in this category is Michael Deaver.
I never found the words to honor Mike on this site when he passed away in August after a battle with cancer.
But I was privileged to call him a colleague at Edelman, and honored to have the chance to get to know him, if only a little.
In September, I attended Mike’s funeral. Originally planned for the small, Episcopal church near the White House where Mike and his family attended for years, the service had to be moved to the National Cathedral to accommodate the hundreds of Mike’s friends who wanted to pay their final respects.
Vice President Cheney, Former First Lady Nancy Reagan, and countless others of Mike’s professional colleagues attended. Former Secretary of State James Baker gave a wonderful and moving tribute to Mike.
But Henry Pierce, director of Clean and Sober Streets, provided the most breathtaking moment of the service, when he described Mike’s boundless commitment to his organization, and related how Mike personally intervened with scores of homeless and struggling men and women from across Washington. Mike served as Chairman of the Board of Clean and Sober Streets for 16 years, after getting involved with the organization while fighting his own alcoholism. We heard how Mike rarely went a few days without showing up and helping out. And we learned that on Christmas, Mike would serve dinner, play the piano, and lead Christmas carols.
Mike was a true gentleman, and one of the smartest and most caring people I’ve ever had the honor of knowing. But perhaps the most important thing I can say about Mike is that he touched and shaped lives, and he left the world a far better place than he found it. We are all lessened by his absence.
Jim: As soon as I saw this category, I figured Marshall would write about Mike Deaver, and I looked forward to it in a way.
I was lucky enough to not lose any loved ones this year, so I’m going to go in a very different direction. There’s something very ignoble about the way Joe Torre departed the Yankees this year. In a year full of bad news in sports, the fact that one of baseball’s most accomplished managers couldn’t depart amicably from the ballclub where he made his mark… We’re constantly reminded that our society seems cheaper, more cutthroat, more impatient, less classy, less respectful, less appreciative, pricklier and quicker to anger than a generation ago.
Cam: Most people have never heard of Dave Baskin, and that’s too bad. When a guy like Dave retires, he leaves a hole that’s hard to replace. Dave was NRA’s manager of the Disabled Shooting Sports program.
Under Dave’s direction, thousands of Americans with disabilities were able to take up or continue the shooting sports. He impacted literally tens of thousands of lives, including many disabled veterans who used the shootings sports as part of their rehabilitation.
I was lucky enough to interview Dave several times, and each time he always had an amazing story to tell. For a closer look at some of Dave’s accomplishments, you can check out this article. Dave’s retirement is well deserved but still a big loss. And I’m definitely sorry to see him go.