R.I.P., Chris Reidy

Just wanted to let folks know that Chris Reidy, a longtime sports copy editor at the Hartford Courant, died yesterday. He was 43 or 44 (God, how embarrassing to not know his birthday). Whatever his age, he was too damned young.

For those who know and love him, it's a true punch to the gut. Chris didn't even know how sick he was until the end of November. He'd felt poorly for a few weeks, saw a doctor and found out he had colon cancer. (You'll note that he was younger than the recommended age for a colonoscopy; don't let your doctor put you off.)

Long before I was privileged to call Chris a friend, he was my professional nemesis. In 1992, we were both up for the same job at the Anchorage Daily News. He was in the mix on merit; I was there because of a fluke. I’d been permitted to take the editing test, mostly as a courtesy because the hiring editor liked my moxie. I did well enough to make him consider me a candidate.

A week or so later, Chris came in, took the same test and aced it. It was awfully tough to compete with that.

Beyond his excellence as a journalist, he was as good a friend as you could ever hope to have. He had these big, booming laughs with the patented "Reidy snort." He had a way of making you feel like you were the center of the universe when he was with you. He'll be deeply missed.

A lot of people are hurting today -- his friends at the Courant, the folks he worked with in Alaska and Florida, his fantasy-football buddies, old friends from school and, most of all, his wife, Mary, and his daughter, Carolyn.

Please keep them in your prayers.

 

RIP to Chris. I never knew him, had never heard of him, but Craig's obit here makes me wish I had heard that laugh just once.

My best to his family.

 

so sad

RIP, Chris

 

I worked with him when we both were students at the University of Florida. Great guy.
This is very sad.

RIP Chris

 

Brutal 12 months for the Courant.

RIP.

 

RIP.

I had to do a double take at the thread title. I thought an SID at a local college died.

 

I didn't know him, but RIP.

 

I'm feeling you, that.

 

As part of the extended Courant family, my best to Otto and Scott and those friends grieving there as well as his family. This after losing Mark Leary not long ago. So sad.

 

I believe that Chris had taken a buyout from the Courant last year, then spent some time traveling with his family last summer.

 

Reidy worked with me during my internship at the Courant. He was an amazing guy and always took time to talk with me and work with me, even though he didn't have to. He made me feel incredibly welcome and was a great guy. I know all who knew him will miss him much.

 

The Courant has lost Bo Kolinsky, Mark Leary, Alan Greenberg and now Chris Reidy all in the past 5 or so years.
Terrible, terrible loss for that staff, which is one of the best, and nicest, in the nation.
I know Scott Powers and Jeff Otterbein really liked Chris and they threw him a fun going-away party. A few months later they visited him in a hospital bed. Now they are burying him. So very sad.