What Do You Say?

Print this article | Send to Colleague

What do you say when you lose a friend, relative or a loved one? Sometimes the pain seems unbearable, especially when those special times roll around the next year. Times such as holidays, meetings, conference calls or industry events that take place on a regular scheduled basis.

I am always amazed when someone you meet has an immediate and lasting impact on your job or life. It is normally an individual who you have known or grown up with for years. But every so often a person comes into your life that blindsides you with their passion and personality to the point that they make a definite impact on your life.

Unique, passionate, outspoken, dedicated, friend -- these are just a few of the accolades that people use to describe Rick Colvin.

I met Rick a little over three years ago when PIMA and TAPPI began their quest to become a part of each other. Rick's personality and passion quickly caught my attention during group meetings, conference calls and one-on-one meetings. I still chuckle when I recall how he always announced "this is Rick" when he would chime in on conference calls. The reason it was always funny is that no one on the call had any doubt, because his voice sounded like no other person in the world. With an accent that was a cross between Dennison, OH, where he is from, and Milledgeville, GA, where he lived for the past several years, the voice unmistakably belonged to Rick Colvin.

Rick began his love for this industry after graduating with a bachelor's degree in Chemistry from Muskingum College. He then went to work for Engelhard Minerals & Chemicals as a chemist. Later, he moved into field sales and product management for paper kaolin. Rick spent the rest of his 32-year career in this small, tightly knit industry in Middle Georgia.

Rick's touch reached from Georgia to all across this wonderful world in which we live, including Europe, South America and the Far East. "Kaolin Rick," as he was affectionately known, believed that kaolin, not blood, ran through his veins. Rick was always generous with his time to all who knew him and quick to lend a hand to those in need.

Rick was a very dedicated volunteer to PIMA for many years and served on PIMA's board during 2007-2008, which were the critical years in bringing TAPPI and PIMA together. Rick also was the recipient of the Thomas F. Sheerin Service Award in 2004.

I, along with many of you, will feel the void of Rick not being at our next industry gathering, conference call or one-on-one meetings in which Rick normally participated.

To Rick's family and long time friends, what do you say? Please know that you are in our thoughts and prayers as we all mourn the passing of one of the industry's true believers.

Larry N. Montague, TAPPI-President/CEO