BURT ANGELI

Where do I even begin? It was more than 32 years ago when I first walked into the newsroom unaware how important those faces would become in my life. We became a family.

Angeli was like an older brother. He was the kind of brother you admired for so many reasons and the one that loved getting in his jabs.

It goes without say that anyone who knows anything about local sports knows the countless hours he put in to give those athletes the recognition they deserve. And he truly loved it.

Angeli was also known for his sense of humor. He didn’t miss any opportunities in the newsroom to make someone laugh. And over that many years, I was able to provide him with many stupid things I did to make him “roar” as he would say.

I am so fortunate to have so many great memories and stories to tell about Angeli.

Many of those revolve around my love of sports, especially the Chicago Bears. Many of my adventures making his “ScuttleBu(r)t” column, which many times including Lynnie. He always would also make special note about my children, aka “Little Krokstroms,” weddings or any other special event in my family’s life.

He also developed a special connection with my youngest daughter, Tessa, as she would come to work with me almost every Sunday. They would enjoy throwing jabs at each other and provided Tessa with her treats.

Angeli could definitely put a smile on anyone’s face, including mine. So many things I miss already — the way he would say “Cookieeee” or “secretary,” because when he needed something, that’s what he refered to me as.

Thanks, Angeli, for being such a great friend. I’m sure you and “Hap” are having a good laugh over me right now, with Linda and Blaine behind you guys shaking their heads.

Love and miss you…. Cookie.

— Terri Castelaz, Lifestyles editor

In the newsroom, Burt kept the key to the photo office in the same drawer, always in a particular spot. If you used the key, it was crucial not to lose it, and equally important to return it to the right place.

Once, or maybe a few times, I neglected to put it back. One time it found its way home in my front pocket. Thankfully, the key was never lost.

Thirty-five years of working with Burt and those were the rough patches between us.

In the final game of the 2001 NFL regular season, with the Packers holding a fairly comfortable lead, Brett Favre took a suspicious fall to allow the Giants’ Michael Strahan to get the single-season sack record. I’ve always remembered Burt being animated in his displeasure with Favre for that tainted sack. I don’t recall if he wrote about it — others did — but overall the response seemed curious in the weight of things, a few months past the Sept. 11 attacks. Thinking about it now, I see more clearly how principled Burt was about sports. And life, of course, too. He might grouse — privately, comically — about Masses that ran too long … as he attended faithfully. He died on Holy Thursday, the birth of Christian ceremony.

Peace, Burt.

— Jim Anderson, news editor

“TEEE PEEE” shouts Burt as he walks into the office. “That’s Me!” I reply. That is how most days started for the nearly 23 years I worked with Burt at The Daily News. As the sports editor, Burt made the majority of my sports assignments. He was always trying to be fair and giving each school even coverage, so sometimes he would talk me into three games in one night. “I got you in Iron River at 6 p.m., Florence for 7 p.m. and if you could stop quick at Iron Mountain when you get back, that would be great.” I usually didn’t complain because I knew a tripleheader would ensure a special thank you from Burt when I returned: A brown bag filled with a six-pack of my favorite beverage to take home after a long night’s work.

Burt was a huge animal lover, so whenever I brought my dog to the office, Thai Boo would run straight for Burt’s desk to get a few belly rubs and some treats. Burt never let her down, so I know she was waiting to greet him at the pearly gates last week.

There are so many things I am going to miss about Burt, but I will always carry a piece of him in my heart. I will remember him at the U.P. track finals (otherwise known as the longest day in sports), when I pass Ralph’s Italian Deli, while eating war wonton soup, when I play with my puppies and when I have a cold beer at the end of a long night.

— Theresa Proudfit

Burt, so many memories of you swirl through my head. My favorites were your loud, joyous laugh and the gentle way you teased your friends and co-workers and gave nicknames to them and their children (and or nieces and nephews). I’ll miss sharing pizza with you on a Friday night shift, giving you my golf and bowling scores and hearing you grouse about things. I’m sad your retirement was so short and so difficult. I know in a normal retirement, we would have seen you in here way too much and loved it.

— Maggie Lanthier

As a kid, I read “ScuttleBu(r)t.” As an adult, I was blessed to work with Burt Angeli for 32 years. Burt was an awesome guy who went above and beyond in everything he did — and the fastest two finger-typist I ever met. He never missed a chance to joke with my husband over the little things in life, which now seem like big things. He loved his job, his family and most of all his bride, Gina. The hole his passing leaves, not only here at The Daily News but the community, is beyond words. Rest in peace, Mr. Burt.

— Jennifer Flynn, circulation manager

I don’t think I could say enough to explain what Burt has meant to me, not only as some I’d look up to, but as a friend over the past 15 years. Once I got out of the Navy and moved back to Norway, Burt and I became fast friends, as we both had a very common interest in area and U.P. sports. I always read his column and game recaps as a youth, even while I was in the Navy when my Mom would send me clippings.

He’s the person who encouraged me to go to college and use my post-9/11 G.I. Bill, in my early 30s, because as he put it, “You never know what’s going to happen around here; I’m not going to work here forever.”

Burt made people like Todder Lindeman, Brian Giachino, Daner Paquette and myself frequent topics in his “Scuttle Bu(r)t” column — all three of them and myself, each with one unique thing that stood out to Burt about our individual personalities. He knew how to expose said unique traits, and the readers loved it, as did the four of us.

I can speak for myself by saying I am glad to have touched Burt’s life in a manner in which he felt enough of me to not only mention me in his column, but more importantly to see in me what he felt was someone who could become a good sports writer and fill his shoes once he was no longer working.

All I can say about that is this: I hope I have even 50% of the impact on people and this community and the athletes as he did. An impact and a legacy that touched more people than he probably ever realized or would take credit for. I’m not the most humble individual sometimes, if there’s one thing about Burt I hope to eventually completely emulate is his humbleness. I know he’ll be watching over all of us that he cared for, so I plan on doing my damndest to make him proud and try to carry on his legacy the best I can.

RIP, my friend. Lots of love and respect. I’ll see you on the other side.

— Matt “Sweets” McCarthy, sports writer