March 29, 2024

No sleep till Brooklyn

It’s an odd thing to have a Beastie Boys song stuck in your head as you’re grieving the loss of a friend, but I know Diane Goodlow would understand.

After all, it was our joke, and had been since my early days at the Marengo Publishing Corporation, where I first met her.

It was funny to me that a woman from Brooklyn, Iowa had never heard the hit song. But she hadn’t, so I sang it to her. I even threw in a little air guitar.

Years later I would start calling her as I passed the Brooklyn exit on Interstate 80. It was an excuse to remind her the song exists, that it’s actually pretty good and that of course, I was thinking of my friend.

Diane worked in human resources and was later named the general manager and publisher of the Marengo Publishing Corporation, where I worked as a reporter for two years.

As a recent college graduate away from home and just launching my career, I sometimes lost my way. It’s hard getting your footing when you’re young, inexperienced … and honestly, quite naive. If it weren’t for friends like Diane, I don’t know that I would have made it.

She was one of those generous souls that was always looking out for you, grounding you, lending an ear, buying a lunch or grabbing you a cold one if she noticed you were almost empty.

As Iowa Hawkeye fans know, there are fans and then are exceptional fans. Diane fell into the exceptional category. In her love of Hawkeye sports she again shared generously with her knowledge, her enthusiasm, her tailgating spot and sometimes with a spare ticket.

Friends like Diane end up being a part of your extended family — there for life’s events, good and bad. Most recently I saw her at my nephew’s first birthday party, and talked to her on the phone the week before the Iowa Hawkeye football season opener.

Part of the fun of a Hawkeye game has traditionally been tailgating with Diane and her crew. This year we missed her as she had booked a trip to St. Louis before checking the football schedule. We joked about how she had committed a cardinal sin. I told her we’d just have to catch another game this year. Perhaps we still will. I think she’d like the idea of her friends rallying around the Hawkeyes, remembering how much joy it brought her.

Diane recently met a colleague of mine at a newspaper seminar. Upon learning about their exchange, I was delighted to share a laugh about one of my oldest newspaper buddies. My colleague told me Diane had nothing but great things to say about me.

Same here, friend.

Contact Abigail Pelzer at
641-792-3121 ext. 6530
or apelzer@newtondailynews.com.