The good, they die young.

But sometimes the good, they die old.

Both philosophical premises met their fateful fruition here in Huntington late Friday night.

Former Marshall football player Donte Newsome -- only 25 years old -- was shot in the chest by an unnamed assailant outside "Fluid" night club on Fourth Avenue and died at St. Mary's Medical Center.

He was good. He was young. He had everything to live for.

Across town, Jose Ricard was waging his final battle with a heart condition that had plagued the much-beloved, 81-year-old Marshall football team doctor during the past few months.

He was good. He was old. He had everything that we wanted him to live for.

They both will be missed.

But for exactly opposite reasons.

Dr. Ricard was the perfect example of American ideology.

Give us your poor, your huddled masses. This is the land of opportunity. In God, We Trust.

The native of Cuba fled from the tyranny of Fidel Castro as the dictator's young, personal physician, defecting from a Cuban Olympic team during a visit to the United States in the 1960s.

Here, Ricard made a name and a life for himself and his family.

His life was the shining success story that every immigrant would dream of living. But it wasn't mere happenstance.

Ricard became successful, became beloved, became a pillar of our community because of his undeniable demeanor. His perseverance, determination and passion made his "American Dream" come true.

As a result, he became someone for all of us to look up to, someone for all of us to draw encouragement from, someone for all of us to admire.

Ricard was the living example of what our forefathers dreamed of on another Fourth of July so many years ago.

So, for him to die on that day -- of all days -- has a certain symmetry. It is the poetry of Dr. Ricard's remarkable life.

In so many ways, he was born and, now, died on the Fourth of July.

And for the death knell to come from his heart -- his great, caring heart -- is the ultimate irony. If the diminutive Dr. Ricard stood 5-foot-6, then 5-4 of it was heart.

Like most people he encountered, Ricard bestowed me the privilege of friendship. It was an honor. He doctored me more than once on road trips.

When my father laid seriously ill in a Huntington area hospital's emergency room for hours because he lacked a personal physician, it was Dr. Ricard that I called.

Within 45 minutes, my father had been examined and moved to a room. A nurse remarked, "I don't know who you are, but you certainly can make things happen."

I replied, "No, I just know people who can make things happen."

I knew Jose Ricard.

I also knew Donte Newsome. He was a bright, personable athlete with a brilliant smile. He wasn't a star at Marshall, mostly because he never found his niche.

But the extremely athletic 5-11, 205-pounder finally was blossoming this season in ArenaBall2. Newsome had scored 11 touchdowns in eight games for the Amarillo Dusters.

Since the Dusters had a bye week, Newsome had returned to Huntington to visit friends and former teammates during the holiday weekend.

According to sources, the alleged murderer shot Newsome in the back and chest after an altercation inside the club. Former MU star Curtis Keyes also was shot in the foot during the same incident.

First, Ricard. Then, Newsome.

We lost our hope for the present and the future in one fateful night.

Dr. Ricard, who proved to us that no obstacle is insurmountable, is gone. Newsome, who warmed us with hope for his successful future, is gone.

As a community, we are defined by tragic loss. It is Huntington's heritage. And, now, we have lost again.

But we will persevere.

We always do.

Chuck Landon is a sports columnist for The Herald-Dispatch. Call him at 526-2827. E-mail him at clandon@herald-dispatch.com.

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