DETROIT – It's a lovely, sunny spring morning today.
Honestly, I'm trying to enjoy it after the long crawl through another fierce winter. But I'm in a bit of a somber daze. I have been since Saturday morning, really. That's when word came that Mike Fezzey had died. So I'm just staring at the sunshine, thinking about Mike. And Suzy. And Peter and Jesse and Sam.
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I'm going through that very tired, very cliched exercise of wondering why I hadn't called him just one more time, why we hadn't arranged just one more get-together, because right now, I really do wish I had just one more chance to laugh with him, plot with him, debate with him, celebrate with him, cry with him --- you could find yourself doing all those things in a single conversation because Mike Fezzey was a man in full, and that's the highest praise I can give any man. I really can't write that "Mike was one of those guys who ... " because there really wasn't anyone like him.
For nearly 20 years, Mike led WJR radio, firmly believing in its motto as "the great voice of the Great Lakes." The media shifted on its axis quite profoundly during those two decades, everything from the internet to satellite radio. But Mike's internal compass was admirably true, and WJR and, I might add, Detroit were guided beautifully by it. And if you had to sail into an ethical storm with anyone, you'd want Mike manning the sails. Mike had a firm grasp of who he was. He was a devout and committed Christian and, in the manner of the best men of faith, he let his actions testify to its place in his life.
I remember the night that he called to tell me that he had decided to leave WJR to become a regional president for Huntington Bank. I said, "Mike, what the hell do you know about banking?"
"Absolutely nothing!" he laughed.
"Great career move," I said.
But Mike, and Huntington for that matter, understood that the world turns on relationships. And instincts. And having your priorities in the right place. And being able to see the big picture. And because of that, Mike was a perfect fit. For me and so many others, watching Mike move from broadcasting to banking was a study in staying focused on the things that are truly important.
The more I think about it, the more I realize that was Mike's gift --- dialing in on what was really important. Because for that long and impressive resume in broadcasting and banking, nothing was ever more important to Mike than his beautiful family.
Those of us who knew Mike had known for years that he was carrying on a torrid affair. Fortunately it was with his beautiful wife, Suzy. He and Suzy were an extraordinary team, the best friends who married each other kind of story to which young married couples aspire. And they've been the kind of parents every child should be blessed to have. I can't keep track of how many boards and foundations Mike served, but every step of the way Peter, Jesse and Sam knew that they were the foundation that Mike served first. There were challenges there as there are for most families, but Mike was again led by that powerful compass of his, one that was always dialed in on steadfast love.
In fact, if I was only allowed one word to affix to the life and times of Mike Fezzey, it would be love --- love for his children and Suzy, his God, love for his friends, his colleagues, his employees. And no reflection on Mike would be complete without mention of his love for Detroit. He tirelessly searched for ways to put the powers of WJR and Huntington to work for the city. That's also why he couldn't seem to turn down those board invitations. (You'd have to have a screw loose not to recruit Mike to your cause).
For many years, Mike and I had a half-serious running conversation on quitting everything and forming a two-man crisis management firm. We couldn't believe how badly corporate and political America botched and bungled its way through one media disaster after another. Some company would do something stupid and Mike would shoot me a text that said, "It's time." But, truth be told, we both loved what we were doing and the crisis management firm never materialized.
And now I realize that's too bad. Because losing Mike is a crisis that is going to need some expert managing.