Almost three years ago, Lacy Neff was diagnosed with amyloidosis, a rare disease where the body’s proteins build up in organs causing them to fail. In Lacy’s case, it was his heart, which made the disease fatal.
However, Lacy was an idealist, one who wanted to see the world as it should be, not as it was. His unfettered optimism allowed him to joke, “Hey, the odds of me getting this disease are one in a million, so my odds of beating it have to be better than that.”
That kind of positivism was contagious. Those who knew Lacy and cared about him had to have at least as much faith as he did, even in the face of the dreadful disease. If anybody could will himself to survive it was Lacy, and he did for a long time… through a heart transplant, kidney failure and a series of related health problems.
So even though we all knew his condition had worsened and the end was near, it still felt unexpected when he died Wednesday at a Boston hospital where he had been receiving treatment for months. He was only 49.
Lacy Neff had two remarkable resumes: One was professional and the other personal.
The Fairmont native started out as a disc jockey in his hometown, and moved to West Virginia Radio Corporation in Morgantown as a nighttime jock on WVAQ in 1987. He eventually became program director and made WVAQ a dominant radio station, winning a remarkable five Marconi individual and station awards from the National Association of Broadcasters.
He won the West Virginia Broadcasters Association “Best On-Air Personality” award five times and in 2014 he was inducted into the West Virginia Broadcasting Hall of Fame. Neff organized the on-air portion of the annual WVU Children’s Hospital fund drive, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars.
On a more personal level, Lacy possessed a rare charisma that brought joy to those around him. He treated everyone, including those he just met, like old friends. It was remarkable to listen to the tributes on WVAQ and read the comments on social media to see all the people who described Lacy as their “best friend.”
Every successful workplace needs at least one hallway cheerleader, a person who is unfailingly energetic and quick with a high-five, fist-bump, a hug and words of encouragement. Lacy made the radio station and his co-workers better every day because of his attitude, as well as his talents.
Although Lacy Neff’s life was too short, it was vigorous and impactful. English novelist George Eliot said, “Our dead are never dead to us, until we have forgotten them.” The way Lacy spent his life ensures that he will be with us for a long time.