Just last week I was going through my phone, deleting old numbers as I did my digital spring cleaning. I paused on a name Husband had entered a few years ago, a number I don’t think he had dialed in a long time. Should I keep it, I wondered? I did.
Yesterday we saw this same friend run by during the Sporting Life 10K. Usually a lead runner, he was only at the front edge of the main pack and he seemed to be fading. Wow, must be a bad day for him we commented. We should arrange to meet up, it’s been too long, see how he’s doing, what race he’s training to run, and other chatter of the sort you do when making plans to make plans.
This morning Danny Kassap suddenly passed away.
I am lucky that through running I have met and become friends with some of the best people I have ever known. People who’s paths would never have crossed with my own if we didn’t lace up together. Danny is one of those people. (Those of you reading are one of those people.)
Title: Blood, Sweat & Years – And When I Die. 1970.
that’s cool that you knew him. i just read about this earlier today – stuff like this freaks me out… he’s supposed to be young and healthy!
sort of related – i am unable to delete contact info/etc of friends who have passed away.
He’s the sort of guy everyone knew … only 28
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p.s. I was totally thinking the same thing as I wrote this post.
Aw jeez, what a great smile on that kid.
This is so sad.
This is shocking and very sad news. Can’t believe this is the same guy that I knew from the CCRR. Danny was very modest about his talents, I got the sense he was good but i never knew he was this good. He was always smiling, encouraging and eager to share running tips. he’ll be missed for sure.
Thank you for posting. life is ironic, ain’t it?
It’s just not fair. He was such a good man. And so rare for such talent to be cloaked with such self-effeacing charm. And that smile always shone through the room or across the trail…
Such sad and shocking news! I will never forget the year Danny came to my school–we were doing a running program and the entire gr. 8 group ran their last km together. Danny came out to speak to them about running and his life and then he laced up his shoes and ran the 1km route with the kids. The kids were so blown away by him–they thought he was a superstar. Danny was so generous; he stayed for an extra half hour signing autographs and posing with the kids for photographs. He was an inspiration to everyone.
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