Without getting too sappy and emotional, today was a tough day. Things were going along fine, I was my usual step behind in getting ready for work, because there’s always one more e-mail to check, one more blog to read, one more Facebook update to check on.

And that’s when I found out.

Through a series of Facebook entries, then visiting the website for my old station, I found out that a former co-worker and friend had passed away.

It’s been four years since I worked in Columbus, so not all the memories are as vivid as they once may have been, but one thing I remember is that Heather Pick was one cool chick to work with. All too often working the overnight shift in a newsroom, you can see the cranky, tired side of co-workers (I’m WAY guilty of that), but Heather always seemed to roll with it. Always one to hang with an off (and sometimes off-color) sense of humor, she was a true joy to work with.

A couple years later, I returned to Columbus to play in a golf outing set up by one of the station photographers. I had a three-man “team” set up, but wasn’t sure what they’d do about a fourth. They put Heather with us and it was a blast. We played pretty well, but more importantly, had a great time enjoying the day. Her upbeat demeanor amazed me, knowing what she was dealing with.

Even earlier this year, in March, I saw her at a seminar for work. And she was the same old Heather.

Sometimes, working nights and weekends in TV sucks. You miss so much that 9-to-5ers get to do. But you also get closer to the few people you work with on those shifts and sometimes, that’s a good thing.

Not to make a habit out of sharing personal e-mails in my blog, but my roommate from my time at Channel 10 sent me a note when he heard the news, including this line:

She’s about the only person on that morning shift who I don’t ever remember you coming home and calling a moron three times per week.

Now if that’s not a tribute, I don’t know what is.

And he continued with a line that he thought made him seem like a “massive ass”, but read it, think about it and read it again, you’ll see that it’s true.

“It’s just too bad that people always say glowing things about assholes when they die… it makes it appear utterly meaningless when people are saying nice things about a nice person in this case.”

Though I don’t know that I ever was with them together, I was also a fairly good friend and co-worker with Heather’s wife, Joe. He’s a good guy with a great (and messed-up) sense of humor that I’m sure will help him in some of the hard times, but for now, my thoughts are totally with him as he works to get through this with their two small children.

So definitely a sad day in my TV world. Heather, you’ll be missed.