Tim Mimick, a Scotus Central Catholic High School and University of Nebraska graduate who became sports editor of the Columbus Telegram and later a longtime, award-winning sports writer at The Gazette in Colorado Springs, Colo., died Sunday at Genoa Community Hospital of complications from cancer. He was 55.
"I had the greatest respect in the world for Tim," former Air Force Academy football coach Fisher DeBerry told The Denver Post from his home in Isle of Palms, S.C. "He loved doing what he did for a living. To me, he was more than a great sports writer. He was a great friend as well. He was a pleasure to work with. He always looked for the positive in everything he did. I know my players loved being covered by him because they knew Tim had great admiration for them and for the academy.
"He will be greatly missed."
Mimick graduated from Scotus in 1971 and from UNL in 1975. He was a Gazette sports writer from 1979 to 2003 and covered most of the newspaper's major Front Range beats, including the NBA's Denver Nuggets, the football and basketball teams at the University of Colorado, Air Force and Colorado State, and numerous events at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. He retired from journalism after covering the NCAA basketball tournament in 2003 and returned to Columbus, his hometown, to be closer to his family.
"Tim not only was the best of the best among sports writers, he was the nicest person I've ever met," said Mike Burrows, a 1975 graduate of Columbus High School who worked with Mimick in Colorado Springs and now is with The Denver Post sports department. "He displayed extraordinary courage during the last year of his life. Not once did he complain about being seriously ill. Not once. I'll never forget that, and I'll never forget Tim. Knowing him truly was a blessing."
Mimick's work for the Colorado Springs newspaper took him to many high-profile events, including the Orange Bowl, Cotton Bowl and Fiesta Bowl, the Final Four of the NCAA basketball tournament and the NFL and NBA playoffs. One of the big thrills of his journalism career in Colorado Springs was covering Air Force's stunning 23-11 upset of Ohio State in the 1990 Liberty Bowl, where a Buckeyes senior safety named Bo Pelini, now Nebraska's football coach, played the last game of his college career.
"Talent alone didn't make Tim a special sports writer," said DeBerry, the winningest coach in the history of military academy football. "Tim was a special sports writer also because he was a special person. And it showed in his work. Every time Tim walked into my office, I knew my day would be better because of him being there. He was a great man. His family had every reason to be proud of him."
He is survived by:
Sister: Yvonne Mimick of Lincoln, NE
Sister: Marilyn (Fred) Engelker of Wood River, NE
Sister: Doris Cromwell and special friend Rick Christensen of Genoa, NE
Brother: Terry (Kay) Mimick of Columbus, NE
8 Nieces and 7 Nephews
17 Great Nieces and Nephews
Aunt: Rose Dolan of Lincoln, NE
He was preceded by:
Parents: Adam E. and Helen (Gonka) Mimick
Brother: Kenneth Mimick
Great Nephew: Hunter Christensen
"I had the greatest respect in the world for Tim," former Air Force Academy football coach Fisher DeBerry told The Denver Post from his home in Isle of Palms, S.C. "He loved doing what he did for a living. To me, he was more than a great sports writer. He was a great friend as well. He was a pleasure to work with. He always looked for the positive in everything he did. I know my players loved being covered by him because they knew Tim had great admiration for them and for the academy.
"He will be greatly missed."
Mimick graduated from Scotus in 1971 and from UNL in 1975. He was a Gazette sports writer from 1979 to 2003 and covered most of the newspaper's major Front Range beats, including the NBA's Denver Nuggets, the football and basketball teams at the University of Colorado, Air Force and Colorado State, and numerous events at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. He retired from journalism after covering the NCAA basketball tournament in 2003 and returned to Columbus, his hometown, to be closer to his family.
"Tim not only was the best of the best among sports writers, he was the nicest person I've ever met," said Mike Burrows, a 1975 graduate of Columbus High School who worked with Mimick in Colorado Springs and now is with The Denver Post sports department. "He displayed extraordinary courage during the last year of his life. Not once did he complain about being seriously ill. Not once. I'll never forget that, and I'll never forget Tim. Knowing him truly was a blessing."
Mimick's work for the Colorado Springs newspaper took him to many high-profile events, including the Orange Bowl, Cotton Bowl and Fiesta Bowl, the Final Four of the NCAA basketball tournament and the NFL and NBA playoffs. One of the big thrills of his journalism career in Colorado Springs was covering Air Force's stunning 23-11 upset of Ohio State in the 1990 Liberty Bowl, where a Buckeyes senior safety named Bo Pelini, now Nebraska's football coach, played the last game of his college career.
"Talent alone didn't make Tim a special sports writer," said DeBerry, the winningest coach in the history of military academy football. "Tim was a special sports writer also because he was a special person. And it showed in his work. Every time Tim walked into my office, I knew my day would be better because of him being there. He was a great man. His family had every reason to be proud of him."
He is survived by:
Sister: Yvonne Mimick of Lincoln, NE
Sister: Marilyn (Fred) Engelker of Wood River, NE
Sister: Doris Cromwell and special friend Rick Christensen of Genoa, NE
Brother: Terry (Kay) Mimick of Columbus, NE
8 Nieces and 7 Nephews
17 Great Nieces and Nephews
Aunt: Rose Dolan of Lincoln, NE
He was preceded by:
Parents: Adam E. and Helen (Gonka) Mimick
Brother: Kenneth Mimick
Great Nephew: Hunter Christensen
Tim Mimick, a Scotus Central Catholic High School and University of Nebraska graduate who became sports editor of the Columbus Telegram and later a longtime, award-winning sports writer at The Gazette in Colorado Springs, Colo., died Sunday at Genoa Community Hospital of complications from cancer. He was 55.
"I had the greatest respect in the world for Tim," former Air Force Academy football coach Fisher DeBerry told The Denver Post from his home in Isle of Palms, S.C. "He loved doing what he did for a living. To me, he was more than a great sports writer. He was a great friend as well. He was a pleasure to work with. He always looked for the positive in everything he did. I know my players loved being covered by him because they knew Tim had great admiration for them and for the academy.
"He will be greatly missed."
Mimick graduated from Scotus in 1971 and from UNL in 1975. He was a Gazette sports writer from 1979 to 2003 and covered most of the newspaper's major Front Range beats, including the NBA's Denver Nuggets, the football and basketball teams at the University of Colorado, Air Force and Colorado State, and numerous events at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. He retired from journalism after covering the NCAA basketball tournament in 2003 and returned to Columbus, his hometown, to be closer to his family.
"Tim not only was the best of the best among sports writers, he was the nicest person I've ever met," said Mike Burrows, a 1975 graduate of Columbus High School who worked with Mimick in Colorado Springs and now is with The Denver Post sports department. "He displayed extraordinary courage during the last year of his life. Not once did he complain about being seriously ill. Not once. I'll never forget that, and I'll never forget Tim. Knowing him truly was a blessing."
Mimick's work for the Colorado Springs newspaper took him to many high-profile events, including the Orange Bowl, Cotton Bowl and Fiesta Bowl, the Final Four of the NCAA basketball tournament and the NFL and NBA playoffs. One of the big thrills of his journalism career in Colorado Springs was covering Air Force's stunning 23-11 upset of Ohio State in the 1990 Liberty Bowl, where a Buckeyes senior safety named Bo Pelini, now Nebraska's football coach, played the last game of his college career.
"Talent alone didn't make Tim a special sports writer," said DeBerry, the winningest coach in the history of military academy football. "Tim was a special sports writer also because he was a special person. And it showed in his work. Every time Tim walked into my office, I knew my day would be better because of him being there. He was a great man. His family had every reason to be proud of him."
He is survived by:
Sister: Yvonne Mimick of Lincoln, NE
Sister: Marilyn (Fred) Engelker of Wood River, NE
Sister: Doris Cromwell and special friend Rick Christensen of Genoa, NE
Brother: Terry (Kay) Mimick of Columbus, NE
8 Nieces and 7 Nephews
17 Great Nieces and Nephews
Aunt: Rose Dolan of Lincoln, NE
He was preceded by:
Parents: Adam E. and Helen (Gonka) Mimick
Brother: Kenneth Mimick
Great Nephew: Hunter Christensen
"I had the greatest respect in the world for Tim," former Air Force Academy football coach Fisher DeBerry told The Denver Post from his home in Isle of Palms, S.C. "He loved doing what he did for a living. To me, he was more than a great sports writer. He was a great friend as well. He was a pleasure to work with. He always looked for the positive in everything he did. I know my players loved being covered by him because they knew Tim had great admiration for them and for the academy.
"He will be greatly missed."
Mimick graduated from Scotus in 1971 and from UNL in 1975. He was a Gazette sports writer from 1979 to 2003 and covered most of the newspaper's major Front Range beats, including the NBA's Denver Nuggets, the football and basketball teams at the University of Colorado, Air Force and Colorado State, and numerous events at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. He retired from journalism after covering the NCAA basketball tournament in 2003 and returned to Columbus, his hometown, to be closer to his family.
"Tim not only was the best of the best among sports writers, he was the nicest person I've ever met," said Mike Burrows, a 1975 graduate of Columbus High School who worked with Mimick in Colorado Springs and now is with The Denver Post sports department. "He displayed extraordinary courage during the last year of his life. Not once did he complain about being seriously ill. Not once. I'll never forget that, and I'll never forget Tim. Knowing him truly was a blessing."
Mimick's work for the Colorado Springs newspaper took him to many high-profile events, including the Orange Bowl, Cotton Bowl and Fiesta Bowl, the Final Four of the NCAA basketball tournament and the NFL and NBA playoffs. One of the big thrills of his journalism career in Colorado Springs was covering Air Force's stunning 23-11 upset of Ohio State in the 1990 Liberty Bowl, where a Buckeyes senior safety named Bo Pelini, now Nebraska's football coach, played the last game of his college career.
"Talent alone didn't make Tim a special sports writer," said DeBerry, the winningest coach in the history of military academy football. "Tim was a special sports writer also because he was a special person. And it showed in his work. Every time Tim walked into my office, I knew my day would be better because of him being there. He was a great man. His family had every reason to be proud of him."
He is survived by:
Sister: Yvonne Mimick of Lincoln, NE
Sister: Marilyn (Fred) Engelker of Wood River, NE
Sister: Doris Cromwell and special friend Rick Christensen of Genoa, NE
Brother: Terry (Kay) Mimick of Columbus, NE
8 Nieces and 7 Nephews
17 Great Nieces and Nephews
Aunt: Rose Dolan of Lincoln, NE
He was preceded by:
Parents: Adam E. and Helen (Gonka) Mimick
Brother: Kenneth Mimick
Great Nephew: Hunter Christensen
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