By now everyone knows who Pete is. He is the former Boston College baseball player who in the spring 2012 was diagnosed with a death sentence: ALS. But the former Division I athlete was not going to take it lying down, he was going to fight and in the process he was going to raise awareness for the disease. But what not too many people know is that, the day Pete was diagnosed another former Eagle and employee, was already fighting his own battle with the disease.
I use the word irony in the title because the person I'm referring to in the the last sentence long-time Boston College sports information director, Dick Kelley or "DK" everyone affectionately called him. As a sports information director, we spend our time in relative anonymity, allowing others to take the credit and spotlight. It's what we do. We promote others not ourselves. And that is exactly what DK was both in life and now nearly five months - next Wednesday - after his death.
Although baseball was not DK's primary sport, he still knew nearly every student-athlete that came through Boston College and probably talked with Pete every now and then. Heck, he used to sit down with Atlanta Falcons' QB and former Eagle Matt Ryan and talk politics during Ryan's time at BC. So you know DK knew Pete.
Yeah I'm kind of burying the lead here now but you look at what the notoriety Pete's getting for raising awareness of this vicious, horrific disease, you can't help but think: 'this is the way it has to be.' DK never wanted to be in the center of attention. This is DK saying Pete you take the credit for raising awareness for this disease.
DK was diagnosed with ALS a year prior - officially September of 2011 - but just like Pete, DK was not going to lay down without a fight. He continued to go into the office everyday as well as at the familiar presence along the sidelines at men's basketball games during the 2011-12 academic calendar. From just the average on-looker, you'd never know something was wrong. But just like the disease does. It gradually did it's job and robbed, the once quick-witted amicable man of everything - walking, talking.
The following year, 2012-13, DK was still court-side but this time he was confined to a wheelchair. Over the course of each home game those who knew him, such as good friend and colleague Bobby Bonanno, would come up and talk with him - even if talking was something he was having more and more trouble doing as the days went by. He still was there.And the student-athletes appreciated it.
At the end of the season, when DK was honored with the "US Basketball Writer's Courage Award," it was the men's basketball team that requested the ceremony, that was scheduled for halftime of their game against Virginia on March 3, 2013, be moved to before the tip-off. They wanted to be out there with DK.
The Boston College Eagles men's basketball team was on the road in Atlanta playing Georgia Tech while the women were at hosting #2 ranked Notre Dame at Conte Forum, when DK passed away in his hospital room at Mass. General on Thursday February 13th.
There was no a dry eye at Boston College the following day. Three days later the line at DK's wake extended out the door of the Lehman, Reen, McNamara Funeral Home as well as St. Ignacius Church for the funeral. (EDITOR'S NOTE: After previewing this blog I realized the last three words in this paragraph were on separate lines. So I had to go back in and fix it. DK would be rolling over if I didn't.)
It was already had been such an emotional week for the Eagles but it was not over yet as BC had the biggest upset of the year in college basketball, handing #1 ranked Syracuse their first loss of the season with a 62-59 win inside the Carrier Dome.
While Pete Frates may be the name everyone connects with the #IceBucketChallenge to, remember there is the person behind it. Doris Burke and Dave O'Brien put it best when they took a moment during the BC-Duke game at Conte, to pay tribute to DK.
And in addition to my fellow SIDs out there, Burke also gave you a shout out too: "might be the least appreciated position in college sports - is Sports Information Director - long hours, lots of obscurity but you are invaluable to the programs you serve. Dick Kelley, you are big time, sir!"
