Gene Bess: Teacher, coach and great person

Letter to the Editor:

Upon reading the letter to the editor by Roger Burton on February 01, 2015, as to the type of person that Gene Bess is made me to reflect back to 1977 when my wife and I moved to Ripley County where we have cleared and renovated an old farmstead.

Surprisingly, we were immediately accepted by the people of Ripley County and when we joined our church here, one of the members of our church, Mable Swindle, the Dean of Students at Three Rivers Community College, told us about Gene Bess and his basketball program at the college and invited us to go to a ballgame with her. Mable let us know what kind of Christian man that he was and after the game introduced us to Gene. After talking with Gene for a little while, you couldn't help but somehow knowing that his success will continue to build and someday be known by sports minded people around the world.

To make a long story short, the next year in 1978, we became TRCC Raiders Basketball fans and have followed them around the country and purchased season tickets and reserved seats for the past 37 years.

We held an after season picnic for the Raiders and approximately 100 Raider followers for 20 plus years, but had to stop after my open heart surgery and Eileen's health problems. My wife, Eileen Melton, is an internationally known and respected Wildlife and Nature Artist, and during all of the picnics that we held, our home and the entire business building was open for everyone to go through and enjoy themselves, enjoying the art, playing on the computers, watching the TV, etc., in addition to all of the areas of enjoyment outside. For all the years holding the picnics, we never lost one item. This shows you the type of person, teacher and coach that Gene Bess is.

When I had my open heart surgery, Gene came to the hospital to see me and while walking along with Eileen toward my room, Dr. Stanley Ziomek, my surgeon, was coming from the other direction and Eileen stopped to introduce him to Gene. Dr. Ziomek could hardly get over meeting Gene and said that it was a great honor meeting him. Gene stopped him and said, "No, the honor is mine, you just saved my buddy's life."

I will never forget what effect Gene Bess has had on our lives and am sure that there are hundreds if not thousands of other lives that he has been a great blessing to.

Tom Melton

Doniphan, Mo.