Denny White was a baseball coach, teacher, mentor, and friend in my life since I was seven years old. I had a close relationship with Denny. He was present in my everyday life, whether that be in the classroom, at a baseball practice, or out in town. He was a beloved role model to me and I was struck with devastation when he passed away during my senior year of high school. He unfortunately lost a long battle with cancer in the winter. This news struck my hometown hard as Denny was loved by so many and affected so many lives, including myself personally. It was quite challenging to adjust to his loss for the first few weeks. Usually, I talked to him in the hallways each morning before school. I no longer was able to do this and had to head straight to classes or find my friends. No longer would he be a teacher for any classes and I lost the ability to learn his wisdom in person. Then, I had pitching lessons scheduled weekly on Sunday afternoons with him. I always longed for this time of the week. Being in his presence and receiving his knowledge was unmatched at the time. He never failed to make me smile any time I saw him. Losing this time with him every Sunday was the biggest adjustment I had to make. He is a person that can never be replaced so it was difficult to move on for a while.

Going forward, baseball season rolled around. It would be the first season my team and I experienced without him. Our current head coach wanted us to not dwell on his loss. He wanted us to remember the great person he was and to play for him. Remembering his positive impact on everyone is what greatly helped me adjust to his loss. This made all things easier as time passed. I remembered his legacy and was able to carry it with on my shoulder. During one of the final home games of the season, Denny White was to be honored after the game. Our head coach had created a special jersey with Denny’s name on it that would be presented to his wife, and fortunately enough, I was chosen to hand her the jersey. This was the highlight of an emotional time following his loss. Being able to personally honor him in front of hundreds of people meant the absolute world to me. I was flooded with emotions of my late friend as I handed over the jersey to his wife. Seeing her smile made me realize how lucky I had been to know him.