Happy memories, funny stories for Hiaasen
wasn’t a formal kind of guy.
Hiaasen was one of five staff members shot to death Thursday at the Capital Gazette offices in Annapolis. Jarrod W. Ramos, 38, of Laurel has been charged with five counts of first-degree murder.
But there was little talk about the tragedy. Instead, people shared happy memories and funny stories of the man they called “Big Rob” for his 6-foot-5 stature and “High Step” for his basketball skills.
“That final act will not be what defines our Rob,” said Jean Suda, a longtime neighbor.
Kevin Cowherd became fast friends with Hiaasen when they sat next to each other in The Baltimore Sun newsroom. Reporters were competitive on the features desk where they both worked, but Hiaasen was always the first to compliment a story, Cowherd told the crowd.
And he was always in search of quirky tales. “He prowled around the grittier areas of Baltimore looking for stories,” Cowherd said.
He was mischievous, mentioned sister Judy Hiaasen. He read her diary, cleaned his bowling ball with her toothbrush and stole her James Taylor albums. Yet he was still their mother’s favorite and proud of it, she said. Once, Judy greeted him at the airport with a sign that read “Mr. Special.”
Hiaasen started as an AM radio reporter before switching to newspapers. He worked jobs in North Carolina, Petersburg, Va., and Palm Beach, Fla. He joined The Capital as an assistant editor in 2010 after leaving The Sun. He wrote a column on Sundays.
He met his wife, Maria, when they were reporters at competing outlets; she left the profession to teach. With all the trials and tribulations of being journalists, she said, her husband always said family came first.
Hiaasen is survived by three children: Ben, 29, a lawyer in Towson; Samantha, 27, an assistant manager of the Barnes & Noble at the Inner Harbor; and Hannah, 26, an artist who works at a furnishings store in New York.
Hiaasen and Maria celebrated their 33rd wedding anniversary the week before he died. He had talked about their renewing their vows in Paris. They had plans to finally
Capital Gazette funds
To assist the families of the five people killed Thursday at The Capital in Annapolis, Tronc Inc., the Baltimore Sun Media Group’s parent, has established a fund at the Anne Arundel Community Foundation.
In addition to donations from the public, the Michael and Jacky Ferro Foundation will match contributions up to $1 million
In honor of the victims, the Capital Gazette Memorial Scholarship Fund will provide an annual award for select students pursuing a degree in journalism at the University of Maryland, College Park. Gerald Fischman and John McNamara were alumni of the university, and Rob Hiaasen was a lecturer in journalism there.
To contribute to the funds, go to capitalgazette.com/fund. Donations can also be mailed to Anne Arundel Community Foundation at 914 Bay Ridge Road, Suite 220, Annapolis, MD 21403. On the check, please note Capital Gazette Families Fund or Capital Gazette Memorial Scholarship Fund. try to grow grass on their greenery-free lawn.
On Monday, their children stood on stage and expressed their love for their father. Hannah read a poem because her father loved the written word.
Ben choked up as he read an excerpt from the journal his father had given him.
Samantha talked about how her father would joke during times of distress. Not feeling so good about your looks? “It doesn’t help that you’re left-handed,” he would quip. He joked because he didn’t like to see the people he loved in pain, she said.
“There will be no more ‘Big Rob’ quips to take the pain away,” she said.
Maria Hiaasen knows life will change. But she also knows she will have her husband’s memories forever.
“I may not have him incarnate, but I have him here,” she said, clutching her chest.