RIP Pete Goering

Just heard about this. Long-time Topeka Capital-Journal writer/editor Pete Goering died at 60, succumbing to cancer.

 

Pete Goering is probably my favorite person I've worked for in this industry. He was a cool, cool guy and I'm glad I got to know him. I hope I can learn to be even close to as good of a journalist as he was.

 

This is so sad. Pete was a great guy, a terrific writer, one of my favorite deskers or "slots" to work around when I was but a lowly J student at Kansas and taking prep and small college calls over the phone three nights a week in Topeka.

We will miss you, Pete!

This is a big loss in Topeka.

 

This was a long time in coming, but nonetheless painful news.

Pete gave me my first job in this business as a 16-year-old clerk. He's the reason I'm still at it all these years later.

Not a bad bone in his body. Salt of the Earth, all the other cliches you can toss about.

I'll miss the heck out of you, Pete.

 

I just heard about this and read the story on the Capital-Journal's Web site. I didn't cross paths with Pete near as much as the other Topeka reporters, but in the rare instances when we covered the same event, he was always friendly, always gracious. I know the guys in Topeka and elsewhere across the state will miss him.

We'll miss you, Pete.

 

An absolutely lovely person.
I had not seen him in years. Did not know he was ill.
Based on how he treated others in this business, I'm sure his family members are feeling a great loss.

 

Oh my goodness.

I had no idea.

What a gentleman. I started out in the TV side in that city and he was so gracious whenever I would see him out covering local games. I remember watching HS tournaments with this then-teenage son 12 years ago. Great family.

My thoughts and prayers to his family.

 

Sorry I DBd this, but let me add...

For any of you, like me, who grew up in Kansas, Pete was a great influence and had an impact on a lot of aspiring sports scribes who went to Kansas and Kansas State from the mid-1970s through a few years ago. Great, unassuming guy who knew how it needed to be done and showed a lot of us the way.

You'll be missed Pete, and tip a few with Allen Quakenbush and Bob Hentzen for all of us who know the three of you.

Any of you out there with a connection to Pete, send me a message and let me know who you are. I'd like to know how many of "us" are out there.

 

Pete Goering was my first professional contact in journalism when he called me out unsolicited to see if was interested in a part-time job while I was in college. The course of the next 20 years of my life changed at that moment. He has been my role model ever since. He gave me my first assignments and gave me the inspiration that this a great profession to be in. My life's greatest honor was the privilege of having his old job with his recommendation. He showed the way for a lot of us by being more understated than overreactionary in his writing and showed the way in his thoughtful decision making and how he treated people with respect. He is missed by his colleagues and this community.

 

A good list, Irish_Italian ... I'd add Jim Ramberg to that group (although he probably went to that other place ... and of his own choosing!).

As I mentioned earlier, Pete got me into the biz. The more time that passes since first seeing this thread, the more his loss hurts. Pete championed everything in Topeka (but not in a fanboy-loser way).

I even saw a Topeka Sizzlers game with him once.

Sorry ... I'll shut up now.