In my line of work, smiles are not the way I'm usually greeted by public officials.
A lot of time they want something.
More often than not, they want to complain about something that was in the paper.
Not so George McCloskey.
I will always remember one thing about the longtime Norwood mayor.
His smile.
It's the first thing I noticed the very first time I met him. And it wasn't just for show. That smile really was part of who George McCloskey was.
I would usually hear from George right about this time of the year. He would always remind me of Norwood's July 4 activities. But first he always made sure to tell me how important the newspaper was and how much he enjoyed it.
And that includes the stories that did not necessarily portray his town in the best of lights.
Unlike so many public officials, George understood that was part of the job.
Both his and mind.
We lost George McCloskey last week.
Damn, I'm going to miss him.
Most of all, I will miss that smile.
I'm not the only one.
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