Two good men who made us better

I don’t know if Clark Campbell and Ken Korczyk knew each other, but I knew them. And when I think of them, I think of two good men.

I had the good fortune to have known and written about both for The Press; Clark, as a physical educator instructor with the Coeur d’Alene School District, and Ken, when he was executive director of Tesh.

These men shared common traits: Joyful, energetic, generous, enthusiastic and encouraging. I enjoyed their company. They were the kind of folks who greeted people with a smile and warm hello.

Both, sadly, left us too soon and within a month of each other.

Ken died June 17 surrounded by family at Schneidmiller Hospice House. He was 74.

Clark died July 18 while biking in Spokane. He was 62.

I recall interviewing Clark at cross-country events or other activities designed to get kids up and moving. Sometimes, I just watched him in action, his passion shining through. He got those kids to enjoy, or at least want to try, whatever exercise it was they happened to be doing that day. I often thought he was perfect for his job, and the district was fortunate to have him.

Same goes for Ken.

I usually talked to him back in the days he was the guiding force behind Tesh. This was in the glory times of what was then called the Hangover Handicap, the Jan. 1, 5-mile Tesh fundraiser run on Coeur d’Alene Lake Drive. Then, there was a core group of runners that always showed up no matter how cold it was. Ken was usually at the center of things, chatting, laughing and cheering people from start to finish. It was a nice beginning to a new year.

Lorene Frank knew Ken well, as they worked together more than 40 years ago at Tesh, CASA and Hospice of North Idaho.

She used words to describe him like honest, trustworthy, fair, loyal and humble.

“Ken made our community better in so many ways — he was genuinely a good guy,” she wrote. “He had a wonderful way of bringing people together. Ken was always welcoming and always welcome.

Another friend, Jim Markley, said Ken had a way that made him easy to be around.

“He taught me, by example, an awful lot about integrity, courage and grace. After he died, I realized how many different ways he was involved in improving our community. Knowing and being around Ken made me a better person."

Others shared similar words about Clark.

"Campbell was a passionate educator and modeled lifetime fitness and a love of the outdoors," wrote Michael S. Nelson, adding that Clark “taught both of our kids for multiple years and reinforced his belief that they can do anything."

When we lose good people, we go on without them, of course.

We carry on.

We remember.

When it comes to Clark and Ken, it was their joy in work, in friends, in family, in life, that I remember most. These two men made others feel better. They helped others believe in themselves.

There was a happiness that came from each man that is not easily found, but, once shared, remains a gift forever.