Today the Maryland Terrapins will make their first appearance in the NCAA Tourney in quite awhile as 64 teams battle to determine a National Champion. When they tip it off at roughly 2:55PM it will be only the third tournament game the Terps will engage in since the 2004-05 season.
That should be cause for a mild celebration yet for many in and around Baltimore the mood is hardly celebratory.
T.J. Roberts, a gifted and extremely well-liked radio professional passed away suddenly and tragically on Wednesday at the age of 41. His passing has left his family and friends numb, shocked and breathless and their wounded hearts will be slow to mend.
I had the brief but fortunate pleasure of working with T.J. while recording a few of our radio spots for our program GAMETIME which once aired on ESPN 1300. I also bumped into T.J. on a couple of occasions in and around town simply exchanging pleasantries and then going on our respective merry ways.
T.J. was such an upbeat, enthusiastic and energetic guy. His was the personality you aspired to have and gravitated towards. Life appeared to be a gift to T.J. and in our brief encounters he struck me as someone that enjoyed all of life’s nuances, even the seemingly insignificant ones.
I wish I had more memories to share. I feel cheated and robbed and I barely even knew T.J. Today my sympathy is extended to those who did know him well yet at the same time I envy them for being the beneficiaries of T.J.’s affection.
And for that those close to T.J. should feel blessed.
I’m sure all of you have mourned the loss of a loved friend or family member. Knowing them as you did, you knew in your heart that they would not want you to suffer. Instead they would prefer their survivors to celebrate what was and not fret what can no longer be. When the dust of death settles, memories prevail.
They can’t be taken and they can be clung to.
On a Facebook page created in honor of T.J. (Angel Sent From Heaven), many have shared their thoughts and memories. For those who are not Facebook members, please allow me to share a couple of the thoughts expressed on T.J.’s page:
Spammy Hormel: TJ, I started my day numb and ended it crying. The world was such a better place because of you, and it has suffered a great loss now that you’re gone. You made me better, you fueled my passion, you made me believe in magic, and you taught me that anything and everything is possible. You are the big brother I never had, and you are the friend everyone most needs in their lives.
Thank you for being who you are. I love you. I miss you. I will carry you with me for the rest of my life.
I know you were called up for something really special. Now go make God proud, as you did for all of us down here.
Roe Sellers: I’ve wanted to write something here all day, but not been sure what exactly it is that I’m supposed to write in just a few hundred characters that could sum up everything that’s happened since March of ‘06 when I stumbled into your studio looking for work with a wrinkled blazer and a false sense of bravado.
Since that day, you’ve been a brother, a father, a mentor, a teacher, a banker when I needed a loan, and a psychiatrist when the OCD was piling on and the daily grind mixed with life within those four walls was too much to handle.
There aren’t words to explain how much I learned from you and how much the last 24 hours have affected me, so I’ll just leave it simple: TJ Roberts, thank you for everything you’ve given me and helped me achieved. I am eternally grateful. I will forever love and miss you.
Christie Provins: You believed in my voice and gave me an outlet. You spoke with passion and turned simple words into art. If only your audiences could have known the man behind the curtain. I’ll miss you!
T.J. left behind something for everyone that he ever met. That something may be as small as a friendly grin or a smiling glance; a voice over that will live in eternity; or perhaps something more significant like his friendship and his love. He touched so many.
I’ve always believed that the success of one’s life is measured not by the square footage of their home, the kind of car they drove or the zeros to the left of the decimal point in their investment portfolios. Rather a successful life should be measured by the difference that a person has made in the lives that he has touched.
T.J. Roberts was a champion in the game of life.
I hope those who mourn him today with their tears can soon celebrate him with laughter and cheer.
I feel confident saying that he would have it no other way.
