In death, as in life, Steve Neal beat his colleagues to the story (“Steve Neal, 54; Newspaper political columnist, author,” Obituaries, Feb. 20). On the day that all the other columnists in town were writing about Neal, there was an eerie void where his column should have been.
It was not unusual, however, to have Neal not covering what everyone else was writing about.
Typically, he would have either covered it a week or a month earlier, or would cover it a week later with history, reflection and prediction.
A day when all the other columnists would be on the same page with a breaking political buzz, that would be the day Neal would write an everything-you-always-wanted-to-know article .
His real gift was telling the things no one else told, the things that others either didn’t know or didn’t think were noteworthy.
He was the best kind of teacher (and preacher) because he didn’t know he was teaching.
He was just telling stories and passing them on.
And how we loved to read them.
Who will tell them now?
If there is a Gene & Georgetti’s in heaven, I am sure that honest Abe will pick up the tab and thank Neal for saving his library.
