DAN ANGELO: Butch Wagner remembered as a friend, mentor

I've been lucky enough to have a long career as a reporter, but that also means there are going to be times when dear friends will be lost. Then, the work becomes bittersweet. The loss of Charles "Butch" Wagner was really a devastating moment for me. He was my friend and mentor — in fact I would say he was a father figure to me in the newspaper world. That makes it hard to put those deep feelings into words because Butch believed in me and I'm not sure there's a bigger compliment I can pay him. I know every article I've written and will write for the Sandusky Register, or used in publications for the National Association of College Stores, came about because of Butch and that belief in me. Butch first tried to hire me as a correspondent when I was doing the same thing for the then-Lorain Journal, and then made sure to reach out to me when Steve Sadler left the sports staff for a job in Chicago. I'm pretty sure then-Register editor Rex Rhoades had to be skeptical of my qualifications because, as I look back now, I was incredibly raw. Yet Butch wanted me for the job and patiently worked with me and taught me the business, allowing me to succeed and fail. He never micromanaged, but was always willing to share his knowledge and advice. Butch always stressed that our most important job was supporting local athletics. In my mind, the Register sports staff was always even-handed and comprehensive with its coverage. Or at the very least, we always tried our best to achieve that type of coverage. Now, I have no doubt there are those who would argue that point, that the Register didn't give this team or that athlete their due. But it was never from a lack of trying, and that came from Butch. At the same time, Butch never stopped me from covering the Browns, Indians or the Cavaliers if my schedule allowed it. I'm pretty sure Butch thought it a waste of time because our job was local sports and we had wire services to handle professional sports. My guess is he was right because I doubt the vast majority of Register readers ever noticed my byline on all those reports from Browns training camp, during the season and at home games, which I did for most of my 22 years at the paper. Another thing Butch never put much stock in was personal accolades. He is a member of the St. Mary Central Catholic and Sandusky High School halls of fame. He's also been inducted into the Sandusky bowling and Mills Creek Golf Course halls, along with the Ohio Prep Sportswriters Hall of Fame, an induction ceremony he had to be tricked into attending, and received the media award from the the Northwest Ohio athletic board. I don't think I've ever heard Butch say anything about all those honors, and I know he didn't think much of state writing contests. He always said they were entered by people looking for another job. I didn't see much of Butch during my 10 years at NACS, headquartered in Oberlin, but over the last couple of years I had the chance help him work on stories about local golf and bowling, an opportunity I will always treasure. He even pointed me to stories that he he wasn't able to cover, and in each case I made sure to remind people I wasn't Butch and didn't have all of his knowledge at my fingertips. Another thing I will always remember is helping Butch with his final stories, reporting on the Mills Creek Golf Championship over three weeks in July. He called to make sure I was available, and then I promptly forgot to call him the first Sunday until my wife reminded me. The last story, which printed July 27, was an account of the final round of the event. He wanted to get it done on Saturday, but when I called, he said he hadn't been able to get in touch with the participants and asked that I call on Sunday. When I did, the first thing Butch told me he was needed to return to the hospital when he finished the call. I told him the story could wait, but he was determined to finish, which he barely did before his wife Ruth had to intervene to get him off to Firelands Regional Medical Center for what would be the final time. It's been a tough handful of years for Butch and Ruth and their family. Butch went through a variety of ailments that kept him going in and out of the hospital and rehabilitation. He always fought back and his mind was as sharp as ever, but his body failed him. Then COVID-19 was added to the mix, and despite a mighty battle, it was just too much for his tired body to handle. I've been a very fortunate person. I've spent three decades earning a paycheck doing something I loved, thanks to Butch Wagner. Butch was the Sandusky Register and this community has lost a true icon, someone who will never be completely replaced. My heart is also broken for Butch's wife Ruth and his family, who have had to endure so much over the last few years. I'll end with one request. Butch had plenty of aliments, but COVID-19 made it impossible for him to fight any longer. No matter what side of the fence you're on concerning wear facemarks during this time of the pandemic, please wear one in memory of Butch Wagner.