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I met Jody years ago when Phil and I were in high school. Jody’s sister Faye and Kathleen’s brother Eddie were also in our high school class. Jody worked for the Courier-Journal as a reporter and I believe he was the one who named Phil the “Blond Bullet” for his speed in the new sport of football introduced in Crescent City in 1948-49.
During Florida’s 150th anniversary, Jody and I served on the county Sesquicentennial Committee. Janice Mahaffey and I gathered news items to be used by the newspaper and published in a book, Our Place in Time. As the year ended, Jody asked me if I would prepare his book, The Bardin Booger, for publishing. I was delighted to work with him.
Jody and I went on to prepare four more books—The Dalzell Survivors of Ancient Scotland, Before Wagner’s Creek Ran Dry, Shadow of the Cumberland and The Moving Finger Writes. Jody read Phil’s book, The Other Side of the River, before it was published. We remained friends throughout the years.
Jody lost Kathleen last year and Phil passed this past July. I made several visits to see him. Recently he asked me to send in items for the Today in Putnam column he had been doing for the Palatka Daily News. He told me his eyes were just too weak. He may have asked me to do it because he knew I needed something to help me after my loss.
Just days ago, I took him cookies. Before I left he said he wished we were a little younger and stronger. He would love to work on another book with me. I knew he was not well, but I was shocked to read of his death in the paper Saturday. I have lost another friend. Putnam County has lost his “Wit, Wisdom and a Little Foolishness,” as he subtitled his book, The Moving Finger Writes. He will be missed!