Ginny Doyle Tribute VI: Delaware Coach Tina Martin Writes of Fun and Sadness

By Mel Greenberg

PHILADELPHIA -- Richmond assistant coach Ginny Doyle returned home for the last time Friday escorted by her family, who are now busy preparing for the services after Memorial Day on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, May 27-28 in the city's Northeast section.

More details, beyond the already posting of times, will come in terms of where out of towners can stay, gather after the Tuesday evening celebration of life, and other information associated with the tribute here.

It is now one week since the horrific event occurred involving the balloon fire and explosion that took the lives of Doyle, operations director Natalie Lewis and the captain Dan Kirk.

But to the many, including the Guru, who knew Doyle, not to exclude the other two from our thoughts and prayers, it has been one long day of sadness over the loss and joy recalling the life.

Over 10,000 page views have come to the Guru's blog, far more than any similar period since its inception in 2005, in the past seven days, though note that the number includes many have come back as each new tribue to Doyle has been posted.

A big reason has been the link from the Richmond athletic department, which enables all of us to share with each other, so thanks to th folks in Virginia.

During this time all divisional lines of life fall by the wayside. Instead of coaches, players, direct relatives, media, university administrators over the entire school or just athletics, we are one big family.

At one point, the Guru considered perhaps a separate blog for the Doyle memories, so as not to mix it in with the normal day-to-day reporting of the women's basketball world.

But then on second thought that would be wrong. That would cast Ginny out of our universe and right now she is still very much a part of it, as she has been through a career dating back to her playing days here at Archbishop Ryan, on to Richmond, and then on to long stay in the coaching profession, primarily at her alma mater with the Spiders.

The Guru brings this up because of a recently arrived tribute from a long-time Doyle friend and colleague in Delaware coach Tina Martin.

There are a few other tributes that have arrived but considering this is WNBA start-up weekend, those will go up in the next day as all of them become our internet version of an eternal flame to burn forever in our hearts.

So what follows is Tina's tribute, which, because it came as a text message (good thing the Guru can meet the challenge of technology to figure out how to change text sentences into email and then back into the blog format) will sound at the outset as a note to me, but it is really to share among all of you:

Tina Martin's Tribute

Mel,

I know you have been doing the blog for Ginny Doyle.

I have really struggled with her passing.

It was such a shock for me and my heart is broken for her family.

We went to amusement parks, baseball games and movies.

She was such a fun person to be around.

Ginny had a great sense of humor and we could laugh for hours about silly things.

She was a caring compassionate person with great integrity.

We had fun together just hanging out watching television or going to dinner.

She loved to tell stories! Whenever I passed through Richmond I always had a friend to stay with and go to dinner with it was a given!

Like wise when she came through Delaware she always had a place to stay as well.

As you can imagine it has been a struggle of emotions for everyone who knew Ginny well.

One minute I am laughing at her stories as they go through my mind and the next tears are streaming down my face.

I will hold close to my heart many great memories of our friendship.

She was an amazing person and friend. My thoughts and prayers are with her family!

Thank you.

Tina

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