Tom Kane, a longtime River Reporter writer who died over this past weekend, was a man with a fine capacity for moral indignation, tempered by a singular sweetness of character. It is an unusual combination, and an ideal one to find in a colleague working on a newspaper. Tom’s instincts for justice informed a pen he wielded in defense of all he considered to be vulnerable or downtrodden, from our beleaguered farmers to the land, wildlife and people he thought to be threatened by horizontal hydrofracking. But for all his vehemence about the causes he cared about, that sweetness was always there, providing a welcome offset to the inevitable tenseness of a newsroom.

And he cared about his craft: former River Reporter staff writer and current River Talk author Sandy Long, who worked alongside him for about nine years, recalled what great care Tom always took over his ledes (the newspaper term for the first few sentences of an article), which he painstakingly crafted, according to sound newspaper principles, to bring readers directly into the heart of his stories. For instance: “Come by and see us sometime. We’ve moved,” extended his hand to his readers in the story Tom wrote about The River Reporter’s move from Main Street to its current location on Little Lake Erie. Tom had some ability with a camera as well: the photograph at right of Little Lake Erie in the snow, taken by Tom in 2007, won first prize in the “art photos” category at the annual New York Press Association Conference held the next year.

The world can ill afford to lose such a rare combination of moral and aesthetic sensibility and good old-fashioned kindness, and he will be missed.

— Anne Willard

Tom had a great exuberance for connection and creating urgency around community. Following a New York State Press Association Convention in 2002, with Tom’s enthusiasm, The River Reporter embarked on a civic journalism project called “Visioning the Upper Delaware.” We hosted regional forums, community discussions and potlucks. And for one year, Tom and I traveled around to local civic organizations and senior citizens clubs and presented “Stories and Songs of the Upper Delaware.” Telling stories and singing traditional songs in two-part harmony, we blended our voices to invite people to share their vision for the precious Upper Delaware River Valley. It was our work and our joy. Thank you, Tom!

— Laurie Stuart

Tom Kane will always hold a special place in my heart. I worked across the office from him for many years, and I will never forget the looks he would give me when I was getting loud and excited while I was selling ads. When we went away to the NYPA conventions, Tom was such a fun guy to hang out with. We used to love the stories he would tell us about when he was a priest. He was the author of two books that I enjoyed reading; I am going to re-read them to feel him in my heart again. Tom Kane, my friend, you will truly be missed. Rest in peace.

— Eileen Hennessy

Seven years ago, when I walked through the doors of The River Reporter for the first time, I was already a fan of Tom Kane and the wonderful work he had done at the newspaper. Little did I know that we would become friends and share a mutual respect and admiration for each other. I will always cherish the laughs and deep conversation we shared on a wide variety of subjects, including our love of the arts. Tom was, and always will be considered a great asset to the lives of those around him here in the Upper Delaware River region.

— Jonathan Fox

Although I only worked alongside Tom for a short while when I started at The River Reporter, in those few months I knew instantly that he was a great reporter, the kind that you picture from the “old days” of journalism—always ready to pitch a story, always on the phone, and pen poised to write the best story he possibly could. I learned a lot from him; and I could tell that he really cared about people, and of course, the story.

— Isabel Braverman