Ron Petrie

Ron Petrie's column was one of the first things I read when I researched Regina and the Leader-Post before I moved to the Queen City in 2004.

I liked the column because it was written by a smart man who loved to write and share his love for his wife, children and Saskatchewan. I figured that this Prairie province would suit me just fine because Ron proved you could poke a little fun at life in Saskatchewan and embrace it at the same time.

I got lucky six months ago when I was assigned a new job and a desk near Ron's, which meant I got to chat with him more than I ever had.

Ron's best columns focused on his kids. When I was a copy editor and assigned to write a headline over his column on the right side of A3, I concede that I had to walk away from my desk a couple times to keep myself for choking up in front of my colleagues after reading about how much he loved his four children. When it came to his family, he wrote with unmatched passion and clarity.

Looking back on the weekend of Ron's death at just 52, I realize that I liked Ron and his work because he reminds me of my dad -- a talented, funny journalist and passionate father whose life ended much too early because of a cancer, a disease that seems so unfair and cruel.

AM