By Mark Scott
Buffalo, NY – On Friday afternoon, I had the honor of presenting words of remembrance for Alexander Stephen Wozniak. Alex, 16, died June 27, 2004 of complications from his eight year battle against leukemia. The thoughts and prayers of the WBFO family go out to his parents, Mark, WBFO's Morning Edition host, and Karen, and his sister, Carrie. The following are my remarks from the memorial service held at the Amherst Community Church:
Thank you, Mark and Karen, for allowing your family at WBFO to be a part of today's memorial service for Alex. Indeed, we are a family. Though we are part of a massive university, WBFO itself is made up of 17 full-timers and a hand full of part-timers and volunteers, including our advisory board. We're a very close-knit group. I often reflect on how we spend more time with each other during the work week than we do with our own families. And that's why each and every one of us at WBFO feels a deep sadness and intense grief over the loss of our friend, Alex.
Many of us have snapshots in our minds of the moments we shared with Alex. My first snapshot is of learning of Alex's birth. It was during my late 80s sabbatical from WBFO when I was doing public relations. I was sitting in my office when the phone rang, and our program director David Benders called to say the Wozniak's had a baby boy. Back then, and to this very day, the kids of WBFO staffers are warmly welcomed. I especially enjoyed it when Alex, and then later on, Carrie stopped by to see Dad. When Alex came in, he always had a dinosaur with him. He had a passion for dinosaurs. I recall the time when he brought in his Fisher Price video camera, which he proudly demonstrated for me. And then there was the wonderful celebration we had for Alex at WBFO when he successfully concluded his first round of treatment for leukemia. Never once during his long ordeal did he lament the hand he was dealt or seek pity. Alex was just one of the kids. But he was a kid who inspired us all with his courage and determination.
We all have our snap shots. Nancy Bargar, our Jamestown correspondent, remembers coming to our Christmas party a couple of years ago, and seeing that battery-operated red nose Alex was wearing. Nancy met the Wozniak's for the first time that night. Unaware of the challenges they were facing, she remembers being struck by the closeness of the family.
Eileen Buckley saw that closeness first hand just a couple of months ago. Eileen is one of Mark's office mates and works with him each morning preparing our local newscasts. On Take Your Daughter to Work Day, Carrie joined Mark. During one of our local breaks, Carrie went on the air with her father. And when it was over, the phone rang. It was Alex, calling his sister to say she did a great job. There was a strong bond there that is sometimes not seen among siblings.
If there was anyone at WBFO who knew what the Wozniak's were going through, it was reporter Joyce Kryszak, Mark's other office mate. Joyce almost lost her son, Bryan, in a horrific car-pedestrian accident in March. Joyce tells me that Alex was and remains the pinnacle of faith and strength for her family. Joyce says she brought news and examples of Alex's most recent battles to Bryan while he lay in a coma, talking to him, telling him to fight too, giving him hope that if a child could prevail so too could he. Bryan eventually awoke from his coma and continues his remarkable recovery. Though Bryan never met him, Joyce says a day never passed without Bryan asking about his "friend" Alex.
Mark and Karen, your family at WBFO grieves with you. And rather than focus on the shortness of the time Alex spent with us, I have found comfort this week in focusing on the quality of his 17 years - the inspiration he provided, especially during these last few weeks as he took his final exams from his hospital bed so he could complete his junior year of high school. Our general manager Carole Smith Petro says "Alex was on our minds and in our hearts during all of the years of his illness, and he will continue to be there now as we remember his unrelenting courage and his soaring spirit."