Michael Lackey

Mike Lackey was part of our football team. He was smart and always fun to be around. What a legacy he left. May he rest in peace with his heavenly father. Tom Bohardt

I never had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Lackey but I so enjoyed his columns over the years. He was more than a writer, he was truly an observer of the human condition and a craftsman at storytelling. May he rest in peace.

Mike was a professional all the way. Whether it was journalism, or sports, he had it covered. A real stat guy. I'll miss him. Paul Janczewski

I got to know briefly during my 3 years when I was the football coach at Bath HS from 1974-1977. Mike was always a very fair sports writer and was an inspiration to many of us coaches and players in Lima area. When Mike came around he had instant credibility because he never acted like he had any disabilities, just abilities! He was very easy to like and respect for how he lived his life.

We were fortunate enough to work with Mike in the early 1980s while beginning our careers. So many wonderful memories in the newsroom and with the Lima News softball team of which he documented every statistic. He overcame so much and never let that stop him from being the best at what he did. An outstanding writer and even better person. Years after leaving Lima it was always smiles and lots of laughs when we got together. Truly a tremendous loss for Lima. Dan Firestone and Melissa Peper...

Mike was an excellent storyteller, especially when writing or talking about baseball. I thoroughly enjoyed his columns, his articles, and our too infrequent conversations. Thank you, Mike!

Mike loved living life and his beloved Cincinnati Reds. We all must cherish the great memories. What an amazing wordsmith and a dear friend. Rest In Peace, Mike!

Mike wrote the story for the Lima News when I was first hired as the head coach at LCC. I remember that he had to walk up a couple flights of stairs to get to my office in the gym and I felt awful when I realized that. He blew it off. He refused to allow his physical challenges to affect him. He was clever and smart and witty and a gifted writer. I was lucky to call him a friend.

Mike enjoyed working for a newspaper. He would say, "I've not only covered a lot of characters, I've worked with a lot of characters.