My wife and I are creatures of habit, and each morning's ritual begins with coffee and the 5am news on WBNS-10TV out of Columbus. Heather had co-anchored that newscast since 2002, and we came to enjoy her plain-spoken, Wisconsin-born personality and clearly indomitable spirit.Heather made no secret of her cancer -- quite the opposite. During rounds of chemotherapy she stayed on the job and on the air, auditioning different wigs for the viewing audience. She was a tireless activist for community causes, especially those involving children and cancer research.
Back in 2006, I worked with Heather in my professional capacity on a story she was doing about a male survivor of breast cancer. After finishing the interview with him, to my surprise she instructed the videographer to mic me. She then asked me to repeat for the camera something I'd shared with her earlier, a story about a friend, another male survivor of this dreaded disease.
What I remember most about that day was feeling that I'd met a true Force of Nature -- I'd had the privilege of coming face-to-face with the same brilliant soul that I saw every morning on our bedroom TV.
A few months ago, other anchors began appearing in Heather's chair. We thought she might be on vacation, but after a month went by, then two, we knew. Despite the substitutes announcing that they were "sitting in for Heather Pick today," we knew.
Heather, who kept on living while fighting for her life, is my hero. Her bravery and selfless service to this community are her legacy. Like a stained-glass window, she was someone the light shines through.
Godspeed, Heather. Shine on.
