|
 Logan, who has been a friend of Lincoln Daily News
since its beginning, and an occasional writer and reporter prior to
joining the team in 2014, will be leaving a big gap in our tight
knit little group of staff.
Over his working lifetime, Roy has enjoyed a number of careers. His
love of cooking gave him a career with Al's Main Event and the Depot
Restaurant, and his love of people gave him a career with the
Lincoln Park District. Both of those careers plus his occasional
television appearances back in the day of CITV5 made him a
well-known character within our community.
Roy is one of those people who knows everyone, never met a stranger,
and if, by chance, he doesn’t know you when he meets you he will
definitely know you by the time you part company. The friends he
made along the way are still his friends and he is loved by many
people. We have a special appreciation for his love for the
community and his desire to serve the community to the best of his
ability.
He tells us now that even though he is leaving the work force he is
not leaving us and that is something for which we are very grateful.
Roy has been an important part of many of the efforts at Lincoln
Daily News. He was instrumental in showcasing businesses through
ribbon cutting events, and helping us build the breast cancer
awareness campaigns that have benefitted so many through its
fundraising efforts for the American Cancer Society.
He knows and understands planning events and making people happy to
attend those events, and says he plans to be around in 2021 when we
are able to go back to our efforts in Relay for Life, Paint the
Paper Pink, and the Pink Pumpkin Auction.
He also still intends to be there for us when we hold our 2021 drive
thru cookouts for RFL.
Roy brought to Lincoln Daily News his contagious smile and ability
to deliver a story with such hilarity that we would laugh until our
sides hurt. He has his Roy-isms which is not so much the words
coming out of his mouth but the way he delivers them. That is hard
to describe, but those who know Roy as well as we do know exactly
what we are talking about.
“We have all been touched by his infectious humor and quick wit. He
made me smile every day,” said LDN Advertising Director Karen
Hargis.
Roy joined Lincoln Daily News in the fall of 2014. There had been a
perfect storm brewing at that time. The retirement of LDN’s Copy
Editor and a realignment of responsibilities among existing staff
and owners opened the door for adding another advertising
representative to work with Hargis. As she began putting out feelers
for a person to join the team, Roy was preparing to depart from the
park district. A conversation with Roy and learning that he was
leaving his current job lit a fire for owners Jim and Jan Youngquist
and soon they were talking with Roy about joining Lincoln Daily News
on a full time basis.
Prior to 2014, Roy was a contributor to LDN. He wrote mainly about
his favorite interest - cooking. LDN benefited from his knowledge of
cooking annually in its special online magazines, and Roy also
pitched in with articles on other topics from time to time. He was
well known by Hargis and she considered him a friend long before she
ever imagined that he would be a co-worker.
Transitioning Roy into the job went smoothly and soon it was as
though he had been one of us from the first day.
Karen noted, “Roy has been a great asset to LDN. He came at a
time when we needed someone who knew the community and was invested here. We are
a better paper because of his abilities and his love for us and his customers.”
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Over the last five years, he and Karen have worked together and
independently to continue building the advertising base for the paper. Roy has a
way of not asking, but telling that several of the LDN advertisers could not
resist. In Roy’s mind right was right, and when he told someone that advertising
with LDN was the right thing to do, he made believers out of them.
At the same time, while his goal was to help LDN, he never forgot that he also
wanted to help his clients. Whether it was an issue with the cost of
advertising, or an ad that would mysteriously disappear on the clients computer,
Roy would dig and dig and grunt and wail, burning up his telephone until he got
what his client needed and deserved.
Roy is a part of the LDN family now, and we won’t let him out of
our lives. Though most of the staff at LDN are in the same generation, many
times we view Roy as a special blend of “Father knows best” and “Uncle Buck.”
His unique perspective of always do what is right, but don’t be afraid to be a
bit unconventional to get there is something that we will keep with us. And,
we’re confident that we will use the motivator “What would ROY do?” from time to
time.
So, to Roy we now say, thank you. Thanks for making us better.
Thank you for making us laugh. Thank you for being a part of our family.
While Roy is leaving us, he is not leaving our community. He will be out there.
He looks forward to being out and about and spending time with friends. He has
plans to do more cooking of course and no doubt the staff at the LDN office will
benefit from that as we get to eat the leftovers!
Roy spoke briefly about his decision to retire saying that he has had a blast at
Lincoln Daily News, and the time he spent with all of us has been “terrific.” We
feel the same say Roy Boy!
Hargis spoke for all of us when she said, “Wishing you the best on the next leg
of your journey my friend. Love ya’!”
[Nila Smith] |
