As the editor of the Mineola American for almost two years, I have come in contact with many different community leaders, many of whom are an integral part of Mineola. Ever since last week, there has been an important part of the community missing.

During my time in Mineola, I have met some individuals who make me feel fortunate to cover this community. Jack Hehman was one of those individuals.

When you saw Jack Hehman, you saw in him a person with a lot of dignity and spirit who made you comfortable in his presence. In didn't matter who you were or when you saw him, he greeted you the same - with a genuine smile as if you were a lifelong friend of his.

I can remember a few times when I requested some historical information for the paper. With Jack, it was never a problem. If he had it, he would share it. When the board of trustees held its hearing to designate its first three properties as historical landmark designations, he gave me his reports on the three structures to make my job easier.

In writing a story about Jack Hehman, I could have interviewed a hundred people who knew him and I'm guessing they all would have spoken about him in the same way as a caring person whom people enjoyed being around.

A lot of people may have trouble coming to grips with Jack's death. It's probably because Jack was such a nice and gentle man and you wonder why he had to be stricken with such a terrible disease. Jack was the type of man who would help anyone who needed it. It doesn't seem fair that he had to suffer. There are no answers to the question of why Mr. Hehman was taken from his family and his community too soon.

When someone like Jack comes along, you want to hold on forever. Unfortunately, we know that we cannot. Yet, what people will remember most about Jack is not how long he was in the community, but the impact he had while he was here.

He will surely be remembered and in time, after the pain of his loss has dissipated some, when he is thought of and a pleasant memory is recalled, he will bring to the faces of those who knew him that same smile he so often showed.

- Joe Rizza

_Joe Rizza