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Dear BEN,
Long time dart player and team captain, Melvin Carter, Wichita, passed away 4-12-05 at a local hospital.
Services are pending here. He was diagnosed with cancer a few months ago. He was strong enough to attend our January general membership meeting of the Wichita
Darting Assn. His condition had deteriorated much since then. He is survived by a son, Lance Carter, of Wichita, who has played on the Sportsman team along with his dad in
recent years. Mr. Carter was a retired bus driver for the local school system. Mr. Carter started the WDA’s website and was it’s webmaster for several years, until Ron
Diehl took over the post a couple of years ago.
—Gregg Turner
Dear BEN,
It is with a sad heart that I say farewell to a good friend of years gone past. He was my dart
partner when I was a ‘player.’ He was a founding member of Bull’s-Eye Marketing, Inc. and many knew him as a Tournament Director of the Lucky Strike Dart Series for
many years in the 1980’s. He was only 54 on February 10 of this year when he passed away.
Gary L. Covey was as friendly as he was mysterious. He was a collector and an avid reader, always with a
book to make use of idle time.
He had a dart shirt from every tournament he ever went to. He loved darts and was a fine player, traveling the country to tournaments, making friends in just about every city. Gary and I shared thousands of matches as partners back then and shared many adventures as we traveled together. He was one of my closest friends at the time, and I believe I was one of his. He was quiet, never talking about himself or offering a complaint. Few really ‘knew’ Gary, including me. He never let anyone ‘in.’ He never made a decision that affected someone else, but seemed happy with whatever choice was made, whether it was the diner or the steak house.
When I attended his Memorial Service in Columbus, Ohio, I met with many of our dart friends who I hadn’t
seen in several years.
We shared many memories of Gary and were all stunned with his passing at so early an age. I think we all learned more about Gary that night then we did in the years we knew him. Funny, how he seemed to be there with us, sharing things we never knew. For instance, none of us knew he was an accomplished poet. How sad, that we knew him so little in life, yet spent so much time together:
After The Last Hour
After the last hour the clouds leaned
and my arms grew readily
in time with the wind.
—Gary L. Covey
Weekend Anywhere But Here
For my weekend vacation I would like
To spend it in a northern woods, with
Its fishing and hunting and cold: maybe
By a seashore, to swim and fish and
Soak in the sun; maybe in the mountains,
With its wholesome atmosphere and
Wonders of nature; or maybe even
On a cruise to some far-off island;
Anywhere would be all right; God
Anywhere but here.
—Gary L. Covery
Age
Wisdom always comes with growing old,
And the best years are there. Or so I’m told.
—Gary L. Covery
Adieu
I have but little time in which to talk:
So listen closely to what I have to say,
I am going now, in sorrow and pain,
And remember, it’s really you that has to pay,
Hazards range out, drifting hulks are there,
And little will be left in the twilight air;
So do what you can, save the remaining few;
This is from me to you: Adieu.
—Gary L. Covey
Gary’s very close friend, Melissa Crawford, said it best.
“He was a poet, a dreamer and a true friend. His keen intellect, ready smile and generous heart will be missed by all that had the pleasure to know him.”
—Jay Tomlinson, Publisher: Bull’s-Eye News
Pickerington, Ohio
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