Kendrick will be missing – The Lima News

Hardin County has lost an outstanding sports editor.

Theo and Cam have lost a wonderful father.

I lost a great friend.

Kendrick Eseyonovsk, who has covered the Kenton Times sport for more than two decades, died in an accident on May 7, and that life was too early taken away from a man who could offer so much.

I first met Kendrick in 2000 when he joined the Kenton Times staff. I was then doing news for them, and so to speak, we didn’t see much.

If you knew Kendrick, then he was a man with strong beliefs and standards, and we often clashed over opinions, ideas, and other things that at a time when you really think about it seem so trivial.

But as we worked more together, we both gained mutual respect for each other, and it soon became a friendship when we connected, covering sports and news, fantasy sports and life.

We may not have agreed on everything, but we also realized that people may have different opinions and still remain great friends.

Kendrick tends to pretend he has no idea what’s going on, but he knew exactly what was going on, and sometimes people underestimated his intelligence.

He soon became the Kenton Times sports editor and I moved to work at Northern Ohio University, but since I knew he didn’t have much help in covering Hardin County sports, I wrote for him on the side for the next 12 years and I always liked it.

Kendrick took care of the lighting of Hardin County schools, and he wanted to make sure the teams and athletes received well-deserved awards and attention.

I learned this firsthand last weekend when I went to cover the Northwest Central Conference Athletics Championships and faced several coaches and colleagues who were all shocked and said the same thing: “Kendrick will be missing.”

Like most of those who cover sports in northwestern Ohio, it’s hard to balance family life and sports coverage, but he did a great job and always found time for his sons.

An example of his generosity was when I recently needed housing and he kindly invited me to stay with him. During the nine months I lived with Kendrick, I was able to understand him even more, even though I had known him for almost two decades.

When I was his guest at the Moose Lodge to have a snack or a beer, he was greeted like Norma from Cheers. Everyone seemed to know his name, and there was always a smile and a good conversation.

Sure, I knew how committed he was to his cause and his family, but you get an understanding that can only be experienced on your own lips. He worried about his work and his sons and always tried to find time when he could for his two boys and took them with him when time allowed and attended their events when time allowed.

Hardin County has lost a great athletic voice and a great accomplice.

Cam and Theo lost a wonderful father who was proud of all their accomplishments and accomplishments.

I have lost a great friend whom, like many people, I will miss.

Rest in peace, my friend.