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It was supposed to be a good weekend. My colleague and good friend Andy Miller and I left Thursday morning for Madisonville, KY to give readings at the college library there. After our four and a half hour trip, we reached Madisonville and checked into our hotel. There was free wireless -- we checked our e-mail. We both had the same unbelievable message sitting in our inboxes.
Danny Miller, the chair of our department and a good friend to Andy as well as Denise and me, had suffered a massive stroke and was in the hospital in a coma. He was on a ventilator, unable to breathe on his own. The prognosis was 'not promising.'
We both sat stunned for several moments, then made some calls back home. There wasn't much more information to be had. I'd last talked to Danny on Wednesday afternoon; we'd seen each other in the halls, had hugged (Danny has never been a person for mere handshakes with his friends) and commented on how pleased we were with the results of the election. Danny was supposed to go to dinner with Andy and me before our evening classes, but had to cancel due to another engagement. Andy actually saw Danny after class at 9:00 that evening and had spoken with him as they were both leaving to go home.
Sometime that evening, as he sat at his computer, the stroke evidently hit. Danny's partner Darrell found him unconscious and unresponsive in the computer room of their house at 9:30 the next morning.
Andy and I were five hours away, and there seemed to be nothing we could do by canceling our appearance and turning around. Nothing would happen tonight, we were told. Danny's closest relatives -- his brother, his niece, his nephew -- were on their way and would arrive sometime on Friday. Even though the event was dampened by our worry about Danny, we gave our readings, had a restless night at the hotel, and woke up early the next morning to head home...
We all spent much of the weekend at the hospital: with Danny, with Darrell, with colleagues, with friends, with Danny's brother, niece, and nephew, all of whom had driven from North Carolina to be with him. On Sunday, Danny passed away...
Danny... Danny was that rare person who was instantly anyone's friend. I'd watched him and Denise quickly become close the very first night she had a chance to sit and talk with him.... He'd often come to hear my band or the duo play. I probably would not have my position without Danny's help and support. He knew everybody and was everyone's friend. I don't know of a person with more charisma and love and empathy than him...
I really don't know how to write this. As I sit here, I'm stunned and numbed by the loss. Thinking of Danny still makes me cry, and returning to classes today will be terribly hard. I don't know how I'll react when I pass his office and know he won't be there.
Goodbye, Danny. I will miss you always.
Danny Miller, the chair of our department and a good friend to Andy as well as Denise and me, had suffered a massive stroke and was in the hospital in a coma. He was on a ventilator, unable to breathe on his own. The prognosis was 'not promising.'
We both sat stunned for several moments, then made some calls back home. There wasn't much more information to be had. I'd last talked to Danny on Wednesday afternoon; we'd seen each other in the halls, had hugged (Danny has never been a person for mere handshakes with his friends) and commented on how pleased we were with the results of the election. Danny was supposed to go to dinner with Andy and me before our evening classes, but had to cancel due to another engagement. Andy actually saw Danny after class at 9:00 that evening and had spoken with him as they were both leaving to go home.
Sometime that evening, as he sat at his computer, the stroke evidently hit. Danny's partner Darrell found him unconscious and unresponsive in the computer room of their house at 9:30 the next morning.
Andy and I were five hours away, and there seemed to be nothing we could do by canceling our appearance and turning around. Nothing would happen tonight, we were told. Danny's closest relatives -- his brother, his niece, his nephew -- were on their way and would arrive sometime on Friday. Even though the event was dampened by our worry about Danny, we gave our readings, had a restless night at the hotel, and woke up early the next morning to head home...
We all spent much of the weekend at the hospital: with Danny, with Darrell, with colleagues, with friends, with Danny's brother, niece, and nephew, all of whom had driven from North Carolina to be with him. On Sunday, Danny passed away...
Danny... Danny was that rare person who was instantly anyone's friend. I'd watched him and Denise quickly become close the very first night she had a chance to sit and talk with him.... He'd often come to hear my band or the duo play. I probably would not have my position without Danny's help and support. He knew everybody and was everyone's friend. I don't know of a person with more charisma and love and empathy than him...
I really don't know how to write this. As I sit here, I'm stunned and numbed by the loss. Thinking of Danny still makes me cry, and returning to classes today will be terribly hard. I don't know how I'll react when I pass his office and know he won't be there.
Goodbye, Danny. I will miss you always.