Homer BRICKEY Jr.

BRICKEY Homer Jr. Homer Brickey, Jr., an award-winning journalist, author, teacher, raconteur, bona fide Kentucky Colonel, Ohio State University alumnus, practical joker, and friend to just about everybody who crossed his path, died Saturday at the age of 66. The cause of death was a brain tumor that struck him down less than three months after he was diagnosed. Homer spent 40 years at The Blade, working in various capacities -- as a reporter; rewrite man; editor of the Toledo Times (The Blade's sister paper); assistant managing editor, and, for much of the time before and after he retired, the paper's highly regarded weekly business columnist. With his endless curiosity, even-handed reporting, and repository of arcane facts, he gained the admiration of editors and news sources alike. Counted among them were a number of Toledo's major captains of industry, including one executive who sent him a silk tie every Christmas in thanks for the unequivocal fairness of his news articles. Homer was also a pal to several generations of veterans with whom he shot the bull over beers at the VFW Post #2510 in East Toledo. It was Homer's favorite watering hole, and an unofficial workplace where most of his business columns took form. A familiar downtown presence with his white hair and beard, he could often be seen bustling madly down the street with an armful of files containing scribbled interview notes, ideas, and resource materials. No doubt there were also copies of Sudoku and KenKen puzzles, at which he was a whiz. Born in Louisa, KY, and raised in that state's Appalachian region, Homer spoke in the soft drawl of an authentic Southern gentleman, delivering his sly, often earthy witticisms about baseball, politics, and life in general to much laughter and appreciation. At The Blade, he was almost certainly the busiest man in the newsroom. He juggled several tasks at once -- writing major Sunday stories, editing copy, attending meetings, brainstorming ideas. Despite this, Homer remained the go-to guy when it came to breaking business news, and he always delivered the goods. Most of the major business stories of the last few decades were written by him. He was unique in other ways as well. Amid The Blade's daily grind of crime and three-alarm fires, murder and traffic fatals, mayoral mayhem and stock-market turmoil, he was an island of integrity and calm -- a newspaperman who resolutely refused to indulge in gossip or criticism concerning his friends, sources, or fellow scribes, Those of us who knew Homer well can vouch that he never turned his back on a person with a problem, a gripe, or in need of some of Homer's old-fashioned country wisdom. He would listen intently, with his eyes as well as his ears. This was a man of immeasurable sympathy and kindness. Lest, however, we paint him as some sort of angel among mere mortals, Homer had a ribald sense of humor that surfaced in often comic and bizarre ways. As one example, he was a master of outrage as he watched his beloved OSU teams on TV. In words too ear-curling for family consumption, he would unload a stream of invective on the poor Buckeye football or basketball player who would dare miss a fourth-down pass or a three-point basket - even when OSU was winning handily. There are countless other Homeric tales to tell, such as the time he agreed to write about a Toledo area nudist camp, even though it meant stripping bare himself; the time he hoofed the entire length of Toledo's Monroe Street for a story, stopping for refreshment at every tavern; the time he ended up walking seven miles from his home to The Blade during the ferocious 1978 Toledo Blizzard because the busses weren't running. One year he buffaloed several of his far-flung friends - journalists, lawyers, bankers -- by sending them letters announcing they had been admitted to a Hall of Fame in their given profession. The recipients naturally puffed up with pride, until they saw that the past "honorees" they would be joining were well-known criminals, incompetents, or worse. Most of the recipients saw the satirical hand of Homer at work. Tom Ensign, a former Blade writer and one of Homer's inner circle of friends, recalled the time he and Homer went golfing and the cart got stuck on the muddy course. Homer obligingly got behind and shoved. The wheels spun and when Tom looked back, he saw Homer covered from head to toe with mud. There were many other such stories, including the time Homer tried to break up a fight over a pool game and asked one of the players, "Do you think you're above the law?" at which point the player promptly punched Homer in the mouth, knocking out a tooth. In a reminiscence of his Appalachian boyhood, Homer wrote about backyard hog butchering and squirrel hunting, squirrel meat being one of his favorite delicacies. His younger sister, Sue Tinstman, of Columbus, also remembers Homer teaching her how to read. What's notable is that Homer did this when he was in the first grade and she only 4. At Ohio State, Homer majored in journalism and was tapped to become editor of the prestigious student newspaper, The Lantern. For two years he was a reporter for the Columbus Dispatch before graduating from college and serving as a U.S. Army 1st Lt. in Vietnam. He joined The Blade in 1968 and quickly rose to become business editor, Sunday editor, and Toledo Times editor. He also taught journalism classes part-time at the University of Toledo during the 1970s and 1980s. It was at The Blade that he met Sue Stankey, a reporter and editor who spent 18 years as his wife. Homer authored two books. The first, "Master Manipulator," told the story of how Ted Wolfram, managing partner of the 85-year-old Bell & Beckwith investment brokerage in Toledo, plundered the business to the tune of $47 million and received a 25-year prison term. The brokerage itself was destroyed by the massive theft. The book, written in 1985, sold 9,000 copies. Then came "Toledo: Access. Opportunity. Edge" written in 2006. A coffee table book filled with color photographs and text, it highlighted the contributions of local industries to the local and national economy. He also edited two self-published books of fiction written by one of his VFW friends, Tom Eckert. At The Blade, Homer's awards were many. The paper named him senior business writer in 1995, which included a $1,000 bonus. Another prize came from the Ohio Associated Press in 1983 for best feature story of the year. The U.S. Small Business Administration named him National Media Advocate of the Year in 1986, and in 2009 the Press Club of Toledo, of which he was a founding member, bestowed the Golden Touchstone award for his journalistic accomplishments, mentoring of future writers, and his role shaping the future of news coverage in northwest Ohio. Surviving are his wife, Sue; sons, Christopher Alan Brickey of Mt. Gilead, Ohio, Jonalan Brickey of Colorado Springs, CO, and Marc Alan Brickey of St. Cloud, FL; sister, Sue Tinstman (Terry) of Columbus, and brother, Mike Brickey of Coshocton, Ohio; as well as nine grandchildren. Homer was preceded in death by his parents, Homer and Lacy Brickey. Services will be today at the Walker Funeral Home, 5155 W. Sylvania Ave., Toledo beginning with visitation from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., immediately followed by a memorial tribute at Walker. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice of Northwest Ohio or to The Ohio State University Foundation. Online condolences may be shared with the family by visiting our website at www.walkerfuneralhomes.com