Remember the past with gratitude, live the present with enthusiasm, look forward to the future with confidence. -St. John Paul II
Day 54 of 365: Dick Atha
My Dad was once, many moons ago, a student teacher at Benton Central High School in Benton County, Indiana. It was there that he met the now legendary figure, Dick Atha. My own experience with Atha is somewhat limited, but his grandsons Nathan Bohn and Mason Atha are the same age as my oldest son, Nick, who played on various baseball and basketball teams with these two over the years. In fact, Nathan and my oldest remain good friends and are roommates at Xavier University in Cincy.
Mr. Atha is a doting grandfather who enthusiastically cheered on his grandsons in numerous games we both attended over the past several years, and my own Dad, being the same kind of very proud grandpa happened to be present at some of these functions as well. A storyteller extraordinaire, I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure how much of what my Dad continued to share about this Atha character were true.
Well, today, a few days after it’s initial printing, I happened upon this phenomenal article about my Dad’s old pal, Dick Atha. It verifies everything Dad ever shared about this high quality, character filled man. I already deeply admired him for the integrity and compassion he instilled in his daughter, Mary (Atha) Bohn, my friend. It was also evident in our brief interactions that this is a genuine man filled with goodness and joy.
So today, I wanted a few more folks to see this great article written by my hometown newspaper, the Lafayette Journal & Courier. It celebrates the rich contributions made to his community and beyond by a truly terrific human. Click on the link above. It’s worth your time!
Thank you, Mr. Atha, for your heroic witness of what it means to spend your life in enthusiastic service to the young people of your community. We all can learn a lesson from your fire, constancy, and passion!
He Never Misses 