RELATED CONVERSATIONS:
BLOG ARCHIVES:
- 2012
- 2011
- 2010
- 2009
- 2008
RECENTLY ON TOL:
The TOL Blog
TAGS:
Rob Ingram's Life
At the end of the last segment of our show today, we remembered Rob Ingram, who was on our show several times over the last few years, talking about his job combating gang violence. I heard about Rob Ingram's sudden death from a heart attack while I was listening to the news on OPB this morning. I couldn't believe it — he was only 38. I jumped to my feet to turn up the radio to hear the details. I had talked to him on air earlier this year. I knew he had children of his own, I didn't remember he had five. I did remember that he touched more lives than one could count. My heart was heavy, I'm not ashamed to say, I cried sitting at the breakfast table.
I remember he told me a couple of years ago in what we call the "pre-interview" — an interview with the producer over the phone in advance of the show — he and his wife had an arrangement that when they went out that he'd pay her a dollar for every time someone called him "Uncle Rob." He'd mentored so many kids, formally and informally, over so many years that he said one year she got four thousand dollars out of him.
Here's the show in 2010 where we featured his personal story in the blog post.
We're planning a longer segment on Wednesday following up about the impact he had on the community. In the meantime, you can comment below, or send us an email (thinkoutloud@opb.org) to let us know who you think we should talk to about Rob Ingram.
