Tague’s passing will leave a hole

Every death leaves a hole in the hearts of family and friends.

But few leave a void in the heart of the community like the passing of Vicki Tague.

All of us lead busy lives. Many of us find ourselves over-committed.

So the act of reading Vicki’s obituary is a humbling experience.

If her community — and she viewed every inch of Jay County as her community — faced a challenge, she was ready to step up and help in any way she could.

If that meant co-chairing the United Way annual campaign three years in a row, so be it.

If that meant wrangling disparate entities into a single countywide chamber of commerce, so be it.

If that meant countless hours of meetings and endless brainstorming over ways to improve local life, so be it.

And as if that were not enough, she reached beyond the county’s boundaries to serve in leadership positions at Meridian Health Services and Minnetrista Cultural Center. After resuscitating Portland Rotary Club, she stepped up to serve on a district level as an assistant district governor.

Cindy Denney, who co-chaired the United Way campaign with Vicki those three years, recalled the other day that when she was approached about leading that third year she herself was hesitant. But Vicki — who was already in the throes of the battle of her life — responded with enthusiasm. She wasn’t going to let a little thing like cancer slow her down. She wasn’t going to let the disease define her.

Instead, what defined her was the way she lived her life, with optimism, faith, resilience and enduring love for the community she called home.

We have been fortunate to have known her, and her passing leaves a hole in all of our hearts. — J.R.