Chuck Williams: New ways to say so long

An old friend got a fitting new-era send off over the weekend.

Friday night Russell Tinney, who worked for the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer mostly in the 1990s, posted on his Facebook page.

"Changing my cover photo in honor of all of my friends who have worked and continue to work at the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer," he wrote. "They will be leaving one of the most recognizable buildings in Uptown Columbus after being there for over 85 years. I spent many wonderful years there working with some amazing people before beginning my career at Aflac in 2001."

He tagged about two dozen of his Facebook friends in the post. It didn't take long for it to turn into a flood of memories and names.

His post started an online wake for the old building at the corner of 12th Street and Broadway that will soon be transformed as part of Columbus State's downtown campus. His friends started tagging their friends who had worked for the Ledger-Enquirer. By the time the weekend was over hundreds of people had been tagged. More than 250 comments were made. There were several photos -- and it went on for a couple of days.

People from coast to coast weighed in -- some would mention one person, others would throw out a dozen or so names from the past.

It was truly a stroll deep down memory lane. And it was far better than a gathering at the paper would have been.

Far better because it was a Facebook conversation.

"The Best Years of my life. you don't know how good you had it until it's gone," wrote one former advertising account executive who now lives on the East Coast. " I will always have ink in these veins."

It was that kind of gathering.

Deeply personal, at times, and really funny at others. It was people sharing this bond that transcended the years. There were names you wanted to remember, some you had forgotten and some you wished you had.

Perhaps it was Karen Spears Zacharias, a former business reporter who is now an author living in Oregon, who put it best.

"I was always so proud to walk into that building -- so striking, a lady dressed in vintage among rack dressers -- and so proud to work alongside some of the most intelligent, most passionate and kindest of people," Karen wrote. "Many whom are still good friends today. Thank you for including me in this sweet embrace."

Thanks, Russell, for making it all possible.

Chuck Williams, senior reporter, chwilliams@ledger-enquirer.com.

This story was originally published February 2, 2015 at 6:28 PM with the headline "Chuck Williams: New ways to say so long."