The only tolerable Duke fan

By Ted Kottler

Casey was two years younger than me but because I attended UMass for five years, we worked together for a couple of them at the Collegian.

Casey is the only Duke fan I ever knew who I liked; in fact, because Casey could express her opinions so vibrantly and clearly, I was always willing to entertain her thoughts on the Blue Devils, not merely tell her they sucked.

I knew Matt Vautour before I knew Casey, and because I sporadically have kept in touch with him since I left UMass, I do remember hearing from him some time ago that Casey had fallen ill. But I did not realize the gravity of her illness, and it is only now, in discovering Matt's blog, that I learn she has died.

They say life is short, but it is not supposed to be so tragically so. Death can be completely unscrupulous; so often it seems to attack those whom we think should be imprevious to it. But any life, no matter how long, can be celebrated, and Casey's, as all these posts indicate, richly deserves to be.

I commend Matt for his most thoughtful gesture of this blog, and am glad to have the chance to contribute to it.

Rest in peace, Casey. A newsroom was always a little brighter with you in it.

Ted Kottler worked with Casey at the Collegian.