Resch loses a special friend

As the Gamblers continue their playoff run this week at the Resch Center, it's a little strange looking up to the section we call ADA East and not see John D sitting at his usual perch. John D is John Dederich, who passed away last Saturday while attending the Final Four in Indianapolis. He's been a fixture at this complex for probably close to 40 years, starting full time in 1972. He was the manager of the Brown County Veterans Memorial Arena for the county and a had a big hand in the building and design of both Shopko Hall (Brown County Expo Center back then) and the Resch Center.

As a decorated Vietnam veteran, John was also one of the leading forces in the construction of the Brown County Veterans Memorial. I don't know this, but I dare say John had a rough go of it for a while after losing both of his legs in a mine accident in Vietnam as a young man. The John I knew never complained. He was a voice of reason who always had a "smart" answer - sometimes smart as in intelligent and always smart as in smart-ass! That's what you got and that's what you loved about John, never taking himself too seriously.

The last project I did with John was a few weeks ago sending a news release for him regarding a deadline for Veterans Memorial brick orders. Once the release hit the media, John got a bunch of orders in the mail and came to me and said "now look what you did!" We joked that sometimes things work out like you want them to.

I guarantee you John wants us to celebrate his death. Not celebrate that he died mind you, but just have a good time on him. He absolutely went out the way he wanted. A man who attended a million events (that might not be an exaggeration) died after watching the Final Four. He was at the Gamblers game the night before...sitting at his usual perch, at the end of ADA East. See you at the next big event John. Save me a seat.