Frank Luksa was there in 1960 for the Dallas Cowboys' inaugural season. He was there for every significant sports event over the next five decades, for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Times Herald, the Morning News, then, finally, as an occasional contributor to ESPN.com.
He had more or less retired by the time I was old enough to appreciate a sports column, but still, his name and photo were an institution and the insight he offered, drawn from his decades of experience, was a wonderful antidote to overheated sports chatter.
Various outlets are reporting that Luksa died this morning at a Plano rehab center where he was recovering from a triple bypass. His memorial service is 2 p.m. Friday at First United Methodist Church Downtown. Luksa hasn't written much of late, but the man will be missed.