Mike DiMauro: A happy retirement to the wind beneath our wings

Oct. 17—The call came last Monday, a call we always and never wanted to hear.

The wind beneath our wings said he's retiring. And in one line, we learned all over again how life is indeed bittersweet. Happy and sad, everything all at once.

After 25 years as the sports editor of these pages, Charles K. Banning, a man we know as Chuck, a man we know as our friend before our boss, has finally decided to favor the rocking chair over the big chair. His last day overseeing the section is Oct. 28.

We are overjoyed that he gets to enjoy retirement with his wife, Sue, and children Caroline, Alison and Luke. Chuck is still a young buck at 67, meaning he'll have years to ponder his well-run race.

But how much will we miss our friend?

Gavin Keefe: "While out and about on assignments over the years, I've heard 'tell Chuck I said hello' many times. It made me realize how well-respected Chuck is in the community. He has the same respect inside The Day sports department.

"He's our guiding light, our voice of reason and our selfless leader, always doing whatever he can to help us do our job, even if that means extra work for him. He's a great boss and also a great guy. He genuinely cares about The Day and his fellow sports staff members. I feel lucky to have had Chuck as sports editor and friend for over 20 years. So happy for him that he's retiring on his terms. Chuck will be sorely missed."

Dave Davis: "Kind of hard to sum up 45 years. Met him when he interviewed me before the Class M football championship game in 1978. Thanks to meeting him and his co-workers at the Norwich Bulletin, I started working with him a few months later and here we are 44 years later. Can't name a better person, a better co-worker or a better boss."

Vickie Fulkerson: "Mike always uses 'calmer than a lagoon' in his columns. Chuck was the lagoon. He always seemed to have the right answer, so much so that I asked him things I probably already knew his response to ... just to make sure. His leadership of our Day sports department has been steady and immeasurable and a true comfort. And above all, I will miss his friendship."

Chuck began his journalism career at the Bulletin. He paused briefly for a stab at his own business, before joining us at The Day in the late 90s. We've never signed a better free agent.

He is the best kind of boss, the most anti-micromanager in the history of civilization. Chuck not only knew the formula but applied it: hire good people, trust them and let them do their thing. Funny how that works. Because I can say that in my 31 years here, our approval rating here in sports has never been higher thanks to the combination of our daily section and GameDay.

Chuck would never take a bow for anything. So I'm forcing him into one here.

I'm not sure who will replace him, or if that's even possible. But that person only need look at his or her predecessor to figure out the best course of daily action. What would Chuck do? And then proceed confidently.

Sportswriters, the great Jimmy Cannon once said, are "underpaid and overprivileged." I can't think of anybody more underpaid in his career. Chuck dealt with all the office and administrative details far more than the fun of covering games and being around people. That's why he's been the wind beneath our wings.

And from that song, we leave Chuck with a lyric that I hope he takes with him every day of retirement as a memory of what he's meant to us:

"It might have appeared to go unnoticed; but we've got it all here in our hearts. We want you to know we know the truth, of course we know it. We would be nothing without you."

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro