Maize South High lost a brilliant teacher, coach, and friend last weekend to breast cancer.  Shelley Poynter probably has no idea how much she touched my life, though our paths crossed MANY times.   Growing up in 4-H Shelley Woodard, from Maize showed sheep and Anita Steckline, from Garden Plain showed cattle at the Sedgwick County Fair in Cheney for years.  I admired her from afar, how calm, cool and collected she was in the show ring, and I wanted to be like her.

Years later as a reporter covering Wichita’s Komen Race for the Cure for KSN-TV, I saw that old friend in a pink shirt, and asked to interview her.  I doubted that she remembered me, but she did, and she was willing to share her story with my viewers and me, so that we could learn more about her battle with breast cancer….in hopes we wouldn’t have to endure it ourselves.

Fast forward a few years later and turns out I’m seeing her everywhere because she teaches in my children’s school district.    It took me awhile to put together that she had also married A.C. Poynter who had gone to High School with my husband, and who teaches at my kids middle school and in fact, had me come speak to his broadcasting class.

Then this year, I became an even bigger fan when I fell in love with Maize South High’s Volleyball team.  I was there mostly because the head coach, Teri Larson and I have been friends for decades…….and low and behold, her assistant was none other than Shelley Poynter.  I watched again from afar as she battled the cancer that had returned, and I still wanted to be like her…..  Strong, present  and always available to the kids who came into her life.   I became fans of her daughter, McKenna, a junior at Maize South who is an exceptional athlete…..Kent and I looked forward to teasing A.C. at all the games,  and Shelley became OUR daughter’s PE teacher this last semester.  They were our friends, even if it was from afar.   And now, with Shelley’s death I grieve, not so much from afar as I probably should, but right up with the rest of you because while I may not have been on her A-list of close friends, I was on her A-list of admirers.  Shelley Poynter, Thank YOU, for sharing your life with me even when you didn’t realize I was watching.  You mattered to me.

(That’s Shelley in the back row with her ball cap on following the win over rivals Maize High School)

One of my favorite stories during my days as a News Goddess was interviewing the other, FAMOUS, Anita Cochran.  At the time she was on top of the Country Music charts AND we had the same haircut. Her duet with Steve Warner, “What If I Said” brought her to Wichita where I got to interview her. (What year you ask?  It looks like the song was released in 1997, so I’m guessing it was then or ’98!)
I thought she was the original Anita Cochran but I have since found out, my real name is Cochran – married name but still REAL.  She was actually born Anita Renee Cockerham so hers (in my humble opinion) is more like a stage name.  Even so, I’m proud to share it with her.  Too bad I can’t share her music royalties too.