Dave Fitzpatrick passed away last week. I knew Dave when we both worked at Fort Meade. Actually, I knew of him before I actually got to know him personally. In our line of work there, reputation was important and Dave had a reputation for his talent as a cryptanalyst and for his ability to work with those around him.

I got to know Dave well over the years and until he had a stroke a dozen years ago, I saw him on an almost daily basis. Dave was extremely bright and eager to share his knowledge on a variety of subjects. He was a big fan of the Washington Redskins and the Baltimore Orioles. In fact, he was a walking encyclopedia of sports.

I was struck by his wide range of interests. He possessed a quick wit, cared about people and made himself available to all who sought his counsel. Dave was the type of person whose company you enjoy. Simply put, he was just a great guy.

So what's Dave's connection to the sports pages? Well, for most of the 30 years of the Centennial Fun Run, he was the traffic flagman. In fact, he was the original flag man, and his daughter, Laura, was one of the early Fun Run participants. With an orange felt flag in hand, Dave's post was at the corner of Century and Cross Country drives.

"Dave loved to come out to the Fun Run," said Arleen Dinneen, who is both the Fun Run organizer and Peggy and Dave Fitzpatricks' neighbor.

Dave's strokes knocked him out of the Fun Run lineup, but in 1998 after two years of rehabilitation, he was back in an electric wheelchair to reclaim his post. Dave made the first two Fun Runs this year before his health failed.

The Aug. 5 Fun Run began with a moment of silence in Dave's honor. Luis Diaz, that night's eventual winner, dedicated his run to Dave and covered the course 10 seconds faster than the previous week. In a poignant gesture, Diaz knelt on one knee, touched his fingers to his lips and then to Dave's picture.

"Dave was such a strong presence in our lives," Dinneen said. "Luis is a runner. He only knows Dave, not from the neighborhood, but from the Fun Run."

People like Dave Fitzpatrick don't come along that often in our lives. I can honestly say that I am one of the lucky ones he touched. I miss him already.

Wilde Lake coach poised for win No. 300

There have been rumors for some time that longtime Wilde Lake football coach Doug Duvall would be stepping down after one more season. The legendary coach told me that he wants to get his 300th win this year and then turn the reins of the team over to Mike Harrison for the following season. Duvall said he presently has 296 wins. "I've got a real good team coming in this year," said Duvall, who was the speaker at close buddy Ed Hamel's induction into the Senior Softball Hall of Fame dinner.

Over his 36 years of coaching football, Duvall's teams have won five state titles, six district championships and 20 county championships. "I've had a wonderful career here. I could not have asked for anything more. The kids I had were just terrific," he said.

Duvall is more than just a football coach. He is a character builder and someone I have watched and admired over the decades. And anyone who has had the good fortune of being in attendance at one of his speeches knows that they had been treated to something special.

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