Good-Bye to One of the Good Guys

I was truly shocked this week to hear that one of my high school classmates, Mike Nisbet, had died. I didn't know Mike real well, but he used to work with my friend Brenda, and we had recently reconnected on Facebook. He was a genuinely kind, loving, thoughtful person. He worked hard at his job, took pride in his white truck, went to the gym, hung out with his friends, shoveled the walk for his neighbors, went to hockey games, and loved spending time with his parents and sister. He was someone who just radiated positivity.

Recently, Mike had been mentioning on Facebook that he was having trouble breathing. He even went to the hospital to get it checked out. Then on Thursday he collapsed at work and died at the hospital. It's still unclear exactly what was wrong. Word about his death spread quickly, and those of us who knew him were all deeply saddened and very shocked. My heart goes out to his family and friends, who must be struggling to comprehend Mike's sudden departure from their lives.

Mike, we thank you for the kindness and joy you brought to this world. As your friend Joe put it, you were one of the good guys.

Mike's obituary appears in today's Grand Forks Herald.