Dori Monson
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Bonneville Seattle is raising funds for the construction of a second Fisher House at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Tacoma and we need your help.Dori will miss local sports icon George Hickman
August 20, 2012 @ 1:29 pm (Updated: 1:40 pm - 8/20/12 )
He was always there. Back in my college days at the University of Washington, I would always run into George Hickman in the press box at Husky Stadium and at Hec Ed Pavilion. He was the incredibly friendly guy that I would stop and chat with for a minutes every time I ran into him.
It wasn't until a couple decades later that I would learn the background of this extraordinary man. George Hickman was a member of the Tuskeegee Airmen - a valiant group that overcame extreme racism to serve our nation in World War II.
George's gentle nature and good humor never brought attention to himself. His mission always seemed to bring some joy into the lives of the people he encountered. In recent years, he has also been the press box greeter at Seahawks games.
A few years ago, I was doing TV commercials for a local company called "Stupid Prices." For the next year, every time I would run into George, he would point and yell out "Hey - it's the Stupid Prices guy." Then we'd laugh and get caught up.
George Hickman, a ubiquitous figure in the local sports scene and American hero, died yesterday at the age of 88. He will very much be missed.
Last November, the Seahawks honored George by having him raise the 12th Man flag. Here is my interview with George on the pregame show that day.
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