Faster, better…

Today I learned that that the man who called me coach died at age 70 of lung cancer.  James Powers, we all knew him as Jim died peacefully on March 23 in Rockford, Il. (His obituary is here.)

I met Jim on line in 1995. One day those many years ago he came across my Anti-Graffiti Web site and subscribed to the mailing list. We have corresponded off and on for some fourteen years sharing our interest

My coach, Jim Powers.

in the anti-graffiti cause. Jim was a long-time community activist in Rockford, giving far more than he ever took in return. He was that kind of guy.

When he found the Anti-Graffiti Web Page in 1995 Jim hung around extending his support and encouragement to graffiti victims, police officers, city and county abatement folks from around the world.  Jim is known internationally as an activist and a hero to the efforts directed at ending the tragedy of graffiti vandalism.

There were times, when as the Anti-Graffiti cause began to grow  I would get discouraged over things.  Jim wouldn’t have any of it.  He would always refer to me as “the coach” because so many people like us had gathered around the Anti-Graffiti Web Page and the NoGraf mailing list to battle vandalism in our communities. I would tell him I don’t deserve that title given his background but he insisted. For the fourteen years I knew him Jim called me coach.

In reality Jim was my coach. He also coached for the twenty-five years he was in the military, he coached as a father and a husband, he coached as a director and member  in the North End Square Neighborhood Association, he coached on the Rockford Fire and Police Commission, and he coached as a director of the Nograf Corporation.  Jim was indeed a community coach and Rockford named a nine-block stretch of Huffman Blvd. between Auburn St and Fulton Ave in his honor because of it.

I was clearly blessed to have Jim Powers as a friend and an ally all of these years. Even when I was finally forced by circumstances to minimize my involvement as Jim and Randy Campbell started NoGraffiti.com and the Nograf Corp, Jim stayed in touch. To him I was still the coach. Friends like Jim Powers are treasured and rare and Jim will always be my coach.

God bless you Jim and God bless your family and Rockford, Illinois at this time.

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