RIP pat tobin
we all knew it was inevitable, but at the same time, we all thought that there was no way cancer was going to defeat the indomitable pat tobin.
i can't remember when or where i first met pat, but i do recall the impression she made on me some 12 years ago. pat was what i like to call a pistol publicist. she sucked you in with her smile, captivated you with her bubbly personality and before you knew it you had agreed to cover some toyota event in rosemead which was far, far removed from your beat.
bang. bang. you've been had baby gurl.
that was pat. you couldn't say no to her. the only way to do so was to avoid contact and that was damn near impossible because she was everywhere. parties, premieres on aisle 12 at ralph's--you name it. and it wasn't unusual to get twice weekly packets from tobin & associates that more often than not included a b/w glossy of pat in one of those grin-and-grab shots with a host of suits.
for those of us who knew her, it was heartbreaking to see this once vibrant woman suffer the way she did. conversely, it was inspiring to see that she never lost her will to fight. i'd like to believe that the cancer that claimed her life early this morning didn't really beat her. i just think pat saw an untapped market in heaven and went for it.
go get 'em girlfriend.
(photo by valerie goodloe--pat tobin, miki turner, darlene donloe at the hollywood bowl in '07)
2 comments:
what a great line to describe pat, "saw an untapped market in heaven." reminds me of another expression of lost when a friend of the family passed. someone wrote in an email reply, "denise has been upgraded to angel status." i like to think of heaven filled with these types of divas.
great blog posts. keep it up.
You captured the essence of Pat. I am an NABJ member living and writing in the Northwest (Seattle) and my encounters with Pat were infrequent (usually the convention) but they were like drops of water to my thirsty soul. She always had a smile, was always in the know and willing to include me in the fun. I always thought her generosity came from a deep well of self-confidence.
By the way, I love your blog. I met you 12 maybe 14 years ago, I believe the city was San Francisco but it might have been LA. Anyway, I walked away dazzled by a brilliant sister covering sports (a mostly white-male dominated field) and I've always remembered you. take care.
Post a Comment