Former Redkey principal’s death hit hard

So it came to pass.

The evening before Thanksgiving.

On a night that was always a fun evening in Redkey for years.

Back when The Key Palace Theatre was a bopping venue for raucous blues acts from all over the country, the Thanksgiving Eve show was always Dr. Duke Tumatoe and The Power Trio for several years.

It was always a packed house and a very good time.

I virtually never missed that Thanksgiving Eve show.

Afterward we would stop by Val’s Bar and Grill and catch up with friends who were coming home for the holiday weekend.

This year, the Key Palace was dark.

We stopped by Val’s and saw a few old friends, but the evening-before-Thanksgiving crowd was certainly a lot smaller than in past years.

I wasn’t there five minutes until someone asked, “Did you hear about Bob?”

Now, for perspective, once upon a time I wouldn’t have dared to call him Bob.

He was Mr. Anderson, and he earned my respect.

Alas, at the age of 97, Mr. Anderson passed on the afternoon before Thanksgiving.

About a year ago, this column mentioned him with warmth and respect, and I still have the voicemail saved where he personally called to thank me for remembering him and writing it.

Virtually everyone who went through Redkey High School, Redkey Elementary School or Jay County High School for a career that spanned from 1960 on knew him.

In my adult years, I was very fortunate to have been able to call him Bob — and a friend.

I never once lost a bit of respect for him, and deep inside I still really thought of him as Mr. Anderson. But he actually preferred even the kids he visited in Redkey to “just call me Bob now,” when he would stop by Redkey Elementary for his routine visits.

A stalwart beacon of integrity, character, decency and respect from Redkey has passed on to his eternal reward.

Losing our heroes as we age is certainly inevitable, but that sure doesn’t make it hurt any less.

I’m sure Bob is needed to corral those youths beyond the pearly gates.

They’ll never find a better role model.