News Releases

RTNDA Mourns the Passing of SPJ's Executive Director Terry Harper

By Ed Esposito, RTNDF Chairman

We don't have a voice in how we come into this world. The measure of who we are, and how we want to be remembered, is found in the way we approach this journey. Life becomes a journal for family, friends and acquaintances to keep alive when we no longer can.

Terry Harper's last posting in his journal came Tuesday afternoon, at home and surrounded by the people who loved him most and leaving behind lessons and a legacy for even those of us who knew him least.

When Harper learned his once-Grade III Anaplastic Astrocytoma had morphed into the recurrent malignant brain tumor that claimed his life, he wrote in his blog "Thumping My Melon" he realized the question was no longer if but "when and how." In fitting fashion, the legacy he leaves behind is a lifetime of service to SPJ served in a seven-year term as Executive Director.

I did not know Terry well, other than as a voice on a few conference calls as RTNDA and SPJ began talking more about ways our two organizations could best serve our members during difficult times. Those discussions continue today. Terry was among those who saw the wisdom in pursuing these discussions not just because of the economy but because, I think, it is the right thing for our organizations to do. Perhaps that comes with the clarity, as Terry writes, in not wasting time or energy. I remember RTNDA President Barbara Cochran noting that none of this could be easy for him, but Terry still wanted us to move ahead.

Don't waste this time. Don't waste this energy.

When SPJ President Dave Aeikens wrote to members notifying them Terry was stepping down for obvious health reasons, it came more than a year and a half after he first learned of the brain cancer. The fact Terry was able to continue as long as he did is a true testament to his character, his strength, and the power of love from his wife Lee Ann and sons Dale and Jace. A photograph posted on Terry's blog shows the family just a day after his surgery last October, assuming fighting positions.

In our often self-absorbed profession, it is easy to bypass the real lives we lead. Reading Terry's posts through March 14th of this year, Lee Ann's observations on his behalf and finally his last thoughts brings home the loss of a fellow human being, unafraid to share with us his fight for life, his sense of humor in the face of the most serious adversity, and ultimately his love of family and friends.

"I do know that if love transcends the boundaries of life and space and time, I have amassed more than enough to carry me safely to my next destination. And I hope that I have left enough behind to help light a path so that we may one day meet again," Terry writes. "It was a great ride."

If you would like to help the family, SPJ has set up the "Harper Family Fund", 3909 N. Meridian Street, Indianapolis, IN 46208. A tribute and services will be held this weekend in Indianapolis. Or, visit SPJ.org and share your thoughts and memories of Terry.