I was sad to learn that Dan Rooney died yesterday in Pittsburgh. He was one of the nicest guys you will ever meet - and one of the most generous. My dad served as his flight instructor in the early 2000's and we had the opportunity to visit with him a couple of times. In 2003, we got tickets through his office to go to the Steelers / Chiefs game in Kansas City and tried to meet him before the game. We weren't able to connect, but pretty soon we received a box in the mail with a game ball from that day with the attached letter to my dad, which now hangs on my wall next to the game ball. If you read the note he wrote, he mentions that the ball is for me to "kick around in the neighborhood." I always thought that was funny - that ball has never touched the ground, let alone be "kicked around" since it arrived in Kansas.
Another time - I can't remember the year, but I was probably 15 or 16 - we had dinner with him and the Steelers General Manager in Wichita. We sat and chatted about life, football, and how he got where to where he was. It was a great conversation. I appreciated that he would hold a conversation with a kid and share advice. The best part was that no one outside of our table knew who he was - until, on the way out, the GM handed our waiter a tip saying, "Congratulations, you just served the owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers." As the waiter's jaw hit the floor, we quietly walked out the door.
There aren't many like Mr. Rooney. He will be sincerely missed, and I will forever remember the times we were able to chat.
Thought you would all appreciate this. I know I've discussed these stories on here before, but it really hit home yesterday.
Another time - I can't remember the year, but I was probably 15 or 16 - we had dinner with him and the Steelers General Manager in Wichita. We sat and chatted about life, football, and how he got where to where he was. It was a great conversation. I appreciated that he would hold a conversation with a kid and share advice. The best part was that no one outside of our table knew who he was - until, on the way out, the GM handed our waiter a tip saying, "Congratulations, you just served the owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers." As the waiter's jaw hit the floor, we quietly walked out the door.
There aren't many like Mr. Rooney. He will be sincerely missed, and I will forever remember the times we were able to chat.
Thought you would all appreciate this. I know I've discussed these stories on here before, but it really hit home yesterday.
