A Lost Soul

This should have ended differently, but it didn't.

I got an e-mail yesterday from a woman I had never known until she told me that her brother had lost the long hard struggle that he waged against his own body for several years. Glen Caccamise's sister spoke of how the cancer had riddled him, and made day-to-day hard becasue of the severe pain he was in. Here's the deal. You would have never known it.

Glen-O was one of those guys that you always see "around" radio. But, he contributed in such a great way that you don't often see. The guy was selfless. What do you need? What can I do? How can I help? He'd work the setup crew for any show we did just so that he might get a handshake from Don Dokken, or an autograph from Rob Halford on his Priest poster. Jumpin' Jesus...show me a street crewman making minimum wage that goes as far as he did.

I was honored to be a co-guest of honor with Glen at a backyard party in West Seneca last summer that was attended by some of the most talented guys currently working in Buffalo radio. Proud to spend the afternoon laughing, joking and telling whoppers with that group and to be there with Glen to watch him enjoy the night too. I'm happy that he enjoyed himself that night. This will sound callous, but I'm happy that he's gone now too. I know the pain he had.

However, I'm also very sad that he's not here anymore. There's a hole in my soul now where he was, because it was never about "me" with him. We all need people like that in our lives. He loved what we do. So many of his contemporaries that read, ignore or contribute to this board know exactly what I mean. Glen just loved being amongst us.

Will we miss him?

"Absolutely!"