“Membranes.” That was the punch line to a rather weak attempt at a dirty joke by Steve Hatch. I remember this moment as it occurred on the football practice field at Saginaw St. Peter & Paul, one day in the fall of 1981, during my junior year. As Steve Hatch was a senior and co-captain, he was leading us in drills amongst the ‘Ends’ when our momentarily coach-less practice routine succumbed to a session of lewd story telling. We were all laughing heartily at the different tall tales when Steve dropped his clunker of a joke. No one laughed, except Steve. Perhaps this moment was a foreshadowing of Steve’s future clinical style – he did later become a doctor. But not being good at telling a dirty joke was certainly one of the very few things Steve Hatch didn’t excel.
It’s easy to remember Steve Hatch as the outstanding athlete he was in football and basketball. He earned numerous all-state awards in both sports. He was also an excellent student, near the top academically of his class. On the gridiron, I had the role of being his backup. Because Steve was so awesome, I was pretty much limited to standing on the sidelines my entire junior year. The following season I earned starter status at the same position that Steve played – split end. To whatever degree I was even remotely productive at football playing, I am indebted to having learned and practiced the position from the best receiver in our school’s history. The last time I saw Steve and his first wife, Julie (also a classmate) was at a class reunion in 2003. I teasingly approached Steve – now Dr. Hatch -- and asked him if “Mr. All-State could take a breather so I could run a play.” He instantly lit up a huge smile and hugged me.
A few days later came the dreadful news. Steve was piloting a plane went down in a fiery crash that killed two of his three children and his wife Julie. The crash occurred while attempting to land at a small airfield in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Apparently the plane had clipped a telephone pole upon descent. Steve was able to pluck one his kids, Austin, from the burning wreckage but the other members of the family perished.
In addition to being a doctor, Steve was also a licensed pilot and very committed to keeping the Ft. Wayne airport, where he had crashed, open. Despite the terrible tragedy, Steve pressed on with his passion for flying. It’s at this point, where one should pause and have some admiration for Steve’s perseverance. To rise again from the Ft. Wayne crash and continue on in life and in all of life’s pursuits ought to be further testimony to the unique character of Steve Hatch. Or to apply, literally, a part of a quote from Epicurus, “…Skillful pilots gain their reputation from storms and tempests.” Steve remarried and raised his son Austin. Austin would become, like his father, an exceptional athlete. In fact, as a high school junior, Austin was a highly sought basketball player and already committed to attend the University of Michigan.
Now, this weekend comes a second tragedy. What terrible fortune! It is mind boggling to learn of this latest plane crash, in which Dr. Hatch is again the pilot. This crash happened in Charlevoix, Michigan. Steve and his second wife, Kim, where killed. Also on board, was his son Austin, the survivor of the Ft. Wayne crash and now this one. Austin is currently in a medically induced coma to relieve swelling on his brain. Having never met Austin, I can only extrapolate on the character of this young man. But knowing a little of the character of his father, I can believe that Austin will have a well of fortitude to draw upon as he recovers from this fateful tragedy. Though I’m not a believer of the divine, I am tempted to plead for an exception in the case of Austin. He could surely use a few extra angels.
Sorry for your loss, Rob.
Posted by: Randinho | June 30, 2011 at 10:18 PM