Scott Kinkele's passing
reported by Rick Lewis on 8/01/00  

Whew. Talk about being hit broadside. A dear friend called me as I was
making myself a bite to eat to tell me about the horrible email that was on
my computer that I'd not yet seen: that Scott is gone.

I'm too stunned to say very much right now....he and I were to run Headlands
50K the 26th together then I was going to meet his parents and have dinner in
San Francisco. I'd put his departure to Whidbey aside with the high
hopes and
plans of spending the day with Scott on the trails around Mt Tamalpais. In
the
last weeks before he got his wings in San Antonio and drove off west to
school, Scott and I spent a lot of time together, running, hanging out at
the farm, just living life the way he relished it. In that short time, he
taught
me a lot about life. Lessons I'll carry with me the rest of mine. In 23
short years, he got a good deal.

Scott lived more of life than anyone I've ever known. He savored every
single
minute of it, with that infectuous smile of his. He treated my children
as if
they were his siblings and they loved him dearly. We'd adopted Scott as
one of
our family; our family mourns his loss as I write this. My children are
groping
to understand that Scott won't frame our doorway again with his arms
outstretched
as four of them knock him to the ground in greeting, him laughing all the way
down. So am I, because the next hug would be for Mindy, then me. We were his
family here in Austin, along with his MAMA friends.

I have a favor to ask of you all: a simple one. Run your next ultra for
Scott.
Not only did he represent a person who lived a full life, he represented our
sport's best - he ran 5 marathons or 50K's in a row (every weekend) in
order to
finish Marathon a Month before he left for Spain. "MAMA Spain, I'm going to
form MAMA Spain" Scott laughingly told me late one night at the farm, as he
came
to ask my advice on a decision he'd already made: to take the assignment.

He made the 100K awards himself. He made gifts for the MAMA runners who
finished
Rocky Racoon 100 miler this year. He made me a special gift. He took
photos,
I have a box sitting right here on my desk that reads "Kinkele Class
00-10A" and is full of photos he made of us all. He made an incredible
monochrome photo
journal of Rocky Racoon that he was going to copy and give me later this
month.
The list is endless; his generosity was too.

"It's more of a challenge to me personally," he said. "Whidbey would be
too easy." His choices were Spain or Whidbey Island and he took the path less
travelled. With a huge grin and not a trace of fear nor anticipation.

"This one's for Scott!" and PR on it. That's what he'd do. He PR'd every
minute in everything he did. I'll miss his footfalls on those trails
around Mt.
Tam where he grew up, but his spirit will be with me, urging me on.
Always. As
always is the case, I just wish I could have said goodbye. One last hug, one
last watching his car drive away as his smile faded in the distance on yet
another of his adventures which I'd hear about weeks later. I wonder what he
was coming home from that fateful night? Something special, I'm sure.

This one's for Scott.
With love,
Rick

PS If there is anyone in the Annapolis area who could attend Scott's
funeral on
behalf of his running friends all over the United States please contact me.
I'll
check to see if I can make it myself. I don't see a date yet as the article
referenced above is dated today. Updated information would be most
appreciated.

Katherine if you could forward this to his parents I'm not sure the Bcc I sent
was their correct email address - I'm a little shook up. Thanks.

David if you have any further information we would appreciate it. Thanks.