Mike and I met in 6th grade at Ridgecrest Elementary in Ms. Bretz's class.  We became good friends, and he never forgot and would always find ways to take care of me.  For example, Mike worked for the Huntsville News while he was in high school.  He covered the Butler basketball and baseball games.  Although I was far from a significant contributor in either sport, he always found a way to get my picture from a game into the paper or mention me in an article.  Later when he worked for the Florence Times and I was living in Hoover, he would take me with him to basketball games as his "camera man".  I got to sit on press row for the SEC basketball tournament in the BJCC, and at the University of Alabama, go to post-game press conferences with the coaches, eat in the press lounge - routine things for him, but something special for me.  He never asked for anything in return.  He was always so unselfish and unassuming. I sent him an email at the Florence Time just to say hello not long before his death.  He replied, "Good to hear from you, my good friend.  You made my day." The times I mentioned in this email are probably the only contacts we had since high school.  But we had a bond from the 6th grade that never broke.  Mike never forgot our friendship, and I'll never forget him.