In Cullen Finnerty tragedy, seeing grace amid sorrow
By Julie Hoogland,
MLive
6/2/13
(Gallery by Chris Clark | chrisclark@mlive.com)
Cullen Finnerty
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- Julie Hoogland: In Cullen Finnerty tragedy, seeing grace amid sorrow
- Cullen Finnerty: Autopsy undetermined, brain, other tests ongoing to find cause of death
- Cullen Finnerty: Funeral service planned Tuesday in Brighton as community remembers
GRAND RAPIDS – The tragic death at age 30 of Cullen Finnerty, a husband and
father of two who had been a star quarterback at Grand Valley State University,
touched so many readers, throughout Michigan and far beyond.
In the times our journalists chronicle heartwrenching and sorrowful events, like the desperate search to find Finnerty alive, I make a point to look for moments of grace and humanity amid the pain.
We all take comfort in the beauty of the community that emerges at these times, as people reach out to support each other in our deepest need.
In the Finnerty search, there were so many uplifting moments. A family pulling together to find its loved one. Grand Valley football players and other alumni pulling together and arriving at the search scene by the bus load. People reaching out from around Michigan and the country with words of comfort and sweet remembrances of the impact Finnerty had in his short life.
Here's a sample of notes we've received about how readers connected with Cullen Finnerty, the community’s efforts to find him alive, and the outpouring of sadness and condolences that flooded in after his body was found.
"Just wanted to drop you a line and say thanks for all the Finnerty updates you did…. I live in Atlanta, and although I didn't know Cullen, I played ball against him in high school and followed him at Grand Valley,” one reader wrote.
Jeff Chaney, a GVSU football alum and sports writer for MLive/The Grand Rapids Press joined the search and received this touching note of thanks:
"I just wanted to send you a personal note thanking you for going as a representative of all GVSU alumni. (Finnerty) was truly an inspiration and wonderful person….. Although this situation ended sadly, I am so pleased to hear of the outpouring of support from his GVSU family."
"Finnerty's enthusiasm was obvious. It was a cool story to write about
someone so unjaded....You could tell how much it meant to Finnerty just to be on
the team, and he seemed like a great guy who was truly appreciative of the
opportunity.”
None of use can change the tragedy, or erase the loss. But as journalists we do value showing how a community reaches out, lifts up and pulls together. Those are not small things.
In the times our journalists chronicle heartwrenching and sorrowful events, like the desperate search to find Finnerty alive, I make a point to look for moments of grace and humanity amid the pain.
We all take comfort in the beauty of the community that emerges at these times, as people reach out to support each other in our deepest need.
In the Finnerty search, there were so many uplifting moments. A family pulling together to find its loved one. Grand Valley football players and other alumni pulling together and arriving at the search scene by the bus load. People reaching out from around Michigan and the country with words of comfort and sweet remembrances of the impact Finnerty had in his short life.
Here's a sample of notes we've received about how readers connected with Cullen Finnerty, the community’s efforts to find him alive, and the outpouring of sadness and condolences that flooded in after his body was found.
"Just wanted to drop you a line and say thanks for all the Finnerty updates you did…. I live in Atlanta, and although I didn't know Cullen, I played ball against him in high school and followed him at Grand Valley,” one reader wrote.
Jeff Chaney, a GVSU football alum and sports writer for MLive/The Grand Rapids Press joined the search and received this touching note of thanks:
"I just wanted to send you a personal note thanking you for going as a representative of all GVSU alumni. (Finnerty) was truly an inspiration and wonderful person….. Although this situation ended sadly, I am so pleased to hear of the outpouring of support from his GVSU family."
I was also touched by
this recollection
of Finnerty written by Baltimore Sun reporter Aaron Wilson, who was struck
by Finnerty’s genuineness while covering his NFL tryout for the Ravens:
None of use can change the tragedy, or erase the loss. But as journalists we do value showing how a community reaches out, lifts up and pulls together. Those are not small things.
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