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Kevin Rollason started in our newsroom in early 1988, a few months before I arrived that June.
Over the course of the next 38 years at the Free Press, Kevin covered every possible story and a few impossible ones, too.
Along the way, he won a National Newspaper Award for an exclusive on how bed shortages, a clogged emergency room and racism contributed to the death of Brian Sinclair at Health Sciences Centre — one of many honours he earned over his career.
But reporter was only one role Kevin played at the Free Press.
He served as president of the Winnipeg Press Club and was a teammate back in the days when our newsroom played in slow-pitch tournaments and volleyball leagues.
He brought a passion to covering those who passed, paving the way for the “A Life’s Story” feature that serves as the cover of our Passages section each Saturday.
Oh, and Kevin also found time to wear the wings of an angel as he led our annual Pennies from Heaven charity campaign with his daughters Sarah and Mary.
Kevin Rollason dons angel wings in 2007 as part of the Free Press Pennies from Heaven campaign. (Wayne Glowacki / Free Press files)
I’m leading tonight’s newsletter with a list of Kevin’s greatest hits because we said a formal farewell to him last night with a traditional newsroom mugging. The “mugging” part of the event comes with a fancy engraved tankard to mark his years of service — along with plenty of mug-sized beers to boot.
We also presented Kevin with another newsroom tradition: his own Free Press front page, filled with mostly gentle satirical swipes and plenty of insider references.
In his retirement speech, Kevin talked about how different our industry was when he first walked into our old newsroom at 300 Carlton Street in the pre-digital era. He recalled the first cellphone available to reporters: a suitcase-sized contraption that had to be checked out and returned after use.
But as Kevin talked about the stories he wrote and the people he met as the industry continued to evolve, he kept coming back to the same theme: While the news business has changed dramatically since he started, the power of journalism to make a difference has stayed the same.
My thanks to Kevin for all the stories that made a difference in the lives of those who call our city and province home. You are definitely one of a kind, and I’m so glad you were one of ours for 38 years.
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