We Lost A Good One

Tim Finkel has the unfortunate honor of being the first two-time guest in We Lost a Good One history.On October 19th, 2023, Ryder was diagnosed with Diffused Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, an aggressive form of cancer in his brain stem that almost exclusively takes place in children, causing an inevitable loss of motor function and leading to eventual death. His initial prognosis was 8-12 months. He proved this wrong and beat his odds by over a year.Tim shares how Ryder strove to make every day he was given as radical as possible. And, how that mindset helped his family savor every moment and with the help of friends, family, and their community, find every last drop of joy, amidst devastating circumstances.If you would like to make a donation to the ChadTough organization in Ryder's honor, please visit;⁠Ryder Finkel | ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation⁠

This episode is three years old! Back in 2022 friend and fellow comedian Robert Jenkins joined me to talk about his father Michael Jenkins. A man who saw the world with a clear moral clarity, we touched on his tough upbringing in Flint and Detroit, a long life spent with his wife Rita, becoming a Jehovah's Witness, and how he managed Lewy Body Dementia on his way out. Rob and I also managed to solve world peace.

This episode I am joined by... my dad! The inspiration to start We Lost A Good One came from the fact that I had never once talked to my dad Charlie about what it was like losing his older brother Bryon at such a young age. Well, after two seasons and quite the hiatus, we finally did it! We dusted off my dad's memories and with a box of my Uncle Bryon's papers, letters, schoolwork, pictures and other artifacts between us, had quite the conversation.

Mark Zacharda is running for state representative in Michigan's new 71st house district. It is a mostly rural district where it has been tough for people over the past years, with jobs leaving and small towns being hallowed out. Mark is a full time farmer and former HS biology teacher who is eager to be a public servant for his family, friends and neighbors and to work for them in Lansing to meet their needs. Mark took a break from campaigning to share some stories he unearthed about his grandfather Robert Zacharda while sorting through boxes left behind after his grandmother's more recent passing. We get into some family history, world history, politics, and the importance of the tangible and intangible legacy you leave behind.  If you are interested in learning more about Mark's campaign: check out votemarkz.com

If you've listened to the introductory episode of We Lost A Good One, you know that this whole thing was in part, inspired by an interaction I had with Jack Nutter. He was the man who greeted me with, "we lost a good one" at my grandfather's funeral a few years back. That moment stuck with me and inspired me to try and have more of these conversations with that same energy. I'm tempted to fill this episode description with all the reasons people in my hometown of Ovid-Elsie look up to and appreciate Mr. Nutter, but that's not the point of the podcast so I'll do my best to focus on who he wanted to focus on, his childhood pastor and teacher, Pastor Bob Fry. A golden gloves boxer as well, Jack shared stories of a man he looked up to in his youth many years ago in Manton, MI. Someone who exemplified a combination of physical strength, quiet wisdom and complete calm. Someone who could get you to hold yourself to a higher standard without even saying a word. We veered off topic quite a bit, just like I knew we would and honestly wanted to. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. 

Mr. Scott Sheedlo is an amazing English teacher, college professor, cross-country coach, my high school biology teacher and also an all around great guy. About two decades after teaching me how to dissect a frog, he joined me to dissect the life and loss of his wonderful mother Colleen. She was a dedicated wife, mother, grandmother, and teacher who never stopped trying to better herself while encouraging others to do the same, whether they wanted to or not! Her family, former students, tennis partners and everyone at Greg and Lou's would agree, her best will be missed and was surely good enough!  Music and editing by the fine folks at The C2R Network.

For the first episode of our new season, I sat down with an old friend and fellow Ovid-Elsie High School class of 2001 graduate, Malleri Singer, to talk about her amazing mother, Mona Myrtle Tobey. As I wrote this episode summary, I stopped and looked up the definition for stalwart; loyal, reliable, and hardworking. Malleri describes her mother as all of those things and more. We talk about Mona's early life growing up in Owosso, Michigan, hanging out at Chick 'N Joy, working her way up the ladder at Motor Products Owosso to provide the best home possible for her kids, eventually finding her own success and independence. We also discuss her untimely passing on an island in the Canadian woods and everything 18-year-old Malleri learned as she was forced to step up and handle those end of life duties that typically aren't asked of us for many decades.  This is also our first episode edited by friend of the show Jeff Jones (round of applause). As a thank you for editing and writing the new theme song, you should check out his show, Cruel2Rewind wherever you get your podcasts. 

Today's guest, author and founder of Grieving It Shanice McLeish, joins me to talk about losing her father at 8 years old and how that helped to inspire her new children's book. Grief on the Playground is a story which takes you on a ride through the 'grief rollercoaster'. Grief on the Playground is necessary for all children who have lost someone they loved. Readers all around confirm Grief on the Playground is a great tool for coping with the loss of a parent, sibling, friend, or pet. The picture book should be used as an aid to help children and adults talk about this very tough subject. The same day this episode airs, it will be available at all your major online booksellers. Go buy a copy! Shanice was an absolute joy to talk to. I'm putting instructions for a dead yard in my will as we speak. 

This episode I am joined by my longtime friend and fellow podcaster, Jeff Jones. Jeff, along with his wife Angie, host an absolutely delightful podcast called Cruel2Rewind. It is the #1 Chicago based, underground, husband and wife, movie podcast in the country. I met Jeff in college and have known him for over 20 years. I knew his dad Bill had passed away when Jeff was very young but I didn't know much more than that. It was a pleasure doing an archeological deep dive with him to discuss the memories he has of his father, along with the myths and mysteries he left behind. Who was Sugar Bear? Why leave a job in radio for... divorce law?! From the Air Force to the airwaves, Bill Jones was a loving husband and father with an entertaining personality and a restless soul that moved on much too soon. 

From St. Louis, Missouri, my guest Libbie Higgins is a hilarious up and coming comedian. She hosts her own podcast, Slop City, and can be found on social media @libbiehiggins. Despite being in the midst of a national tour, she was kind enough to sit down with me to chat about losing her dad, Charles, aka Chas, far too soon. Always, the life of the party, Charles was know for having too much beer and too many cigarettes, but also an amazing spirit and a never-ending love for his children. For more info about Libbie and where she’ll be performing you can visit https://libbiehiggins.com/