A Tragic Loss...

As most of you probably heard, yesterday the world lost a great leader in Steve Appleton, CEO of Micron. Steve was one of those people who always seemed to bring out the best in you. Steve was also on tennis scholarship at Boise State and graduated a couple of years before I arrived there. He was a competitor to say the least! He was always encouraging the "little guy" to break through and win. I last saw Steve at a BSU women's match last year. He came up to me and asked how I was doing. As always, he was keenly interested in how you and your family were doing. My son even got to meet him on this occasion. It's funny how when you see an old friend that you never imagine it will be the last time you'll see them. One of the things I admire about Steve Appleton was his generosity and desire to help others. He definitely never allowed his corporate success to go to his head. His roots and loyalty were always Blue and Orange all the way. On a plaque at the Appleton BSU Tennis facility there's a quote from Steve which says, "Tennis taught me more in one season than a lifetime of other experiences." I couldn't agree more with him. Looking back, Steve at heart was simply another Bronco tennis player, with lots of dreams and determination. But he didn't just twiddle his thumbs and do nothing. He chose to put feet to his dreams and see how far they would take him. My heart goes out to his wife Dalynn and children in this difficult season. Steve, thanks for caring for all the "little guys" and helping their dreams soar too. Here's a great clip about Steve and tennis http://www.ktvb.com/news/BSU--tennis-coach-Appleton-was-just-like-you-138688339.html