The man who has done more than anyone to bring the picture of Summit County to its citizens and visitors has died. He had so many friends that two services were scheduled. The first was yesterday here in Dillon at the Ampitheatre at the Lake. The second will be this week in Denver where his parents live. I did not get to know Brad. I wish I had. I went to the service, not so much to grieve at his passing (which I did, anyway), but for the lessons. Perhaps this was totallly selfish, but regardless of the fact that I also have a lot of friends, I always feel I need to learn how to treat them better. In the end, it was nothing more than being interested. Brad was a man who took notice of his friends, his family, his associates. He made them feel valued, cared for, loved. It wasn't so much that he did anything special. He just did it. He wasn't too busy for anyone. To me, that was the most valuable lesson. I often find myself overwhelmed with work and the myriad of commitments, the drive to be successful. But in the end, we will all be in the same place as Brad. The mark of our lives will not be in how much money or possessions we have, but in our friendships, and the quality of those friendships. Every one of my books have the following quote on my acknowledgements page. It is there because I do not believe that we are our bodies. I believe we are spirit, that our bodies are but temporary temples, subject to beginnings an ends. "We" don't die - our bodies do. The quote is quite appropos in this case: "You don't end up in the grave. You end up in the hearts of the people you have touched." There are hundreds of hearts that have Brad Odekirk as part of their rythm and beat. It's just one of the ways that he lives on. The Summit Daily News, where Brad worked for 12 years, has prepared a fitting membrance that is worth taking a look at. Here are many of his various photos that you can purchase. All of the proceeds go to a scholarship fund. Buy a lot. | 
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