This is not how I envisioned the end of Andy Thompson s impressive 40-year career at The Post-Crescent.
I thought the last chapter would be written at his retirement party, where we would gather to share humorous and touching stories about Andy and the roles he played in our lives: award-winning reporter, editor, bureau chief, coach, mentor and, above all, trusted friend.
I even had planned to present Andy with a plaque that he received in 2009 after winning first place for a human interest story about a Neenah teen’s recovery from a stroke. The inscription on the plaque erroneously said Human Internet instead of Human Interest, which was funny because of Andy s personal feud with computers. When he noticed the mistake, Andy let a few F-bombs fly and threw the plaque in the garbage. I dug it out and kept it all these years, hoping it would bring a few laughs after Andy made his final edit.
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