Losses in our family -- Scott and Yacky
ABATE of Indiana
This has been a particularly difficult and emotional week.
After fighting for a year, Scott Hatfield lost that battle late Tuesday night. You may remember that Scott was seriously injured while leading the Porker Run (an ABATE ride) and crashed after encountering several deer. Scott served as our Fulton County Rep and his daughter Jordan (ABATE’s youngest officer) stepped up to fill in while her dad recovered. I know that he was proud of her, and the whole family. Scott was able to attend Party Lite in June and we were all fortunate enough to spend some time with him there, listening to one of his favorite local bands. Our thoughts and prayers are with Dawn, Jordan, Josh, Logann, Tayler, and the entire Hatfield family.
At about 8:30 Friday night we lost Gary Byers. Most of you probably don’t know Gary, but I expect all of you know Yacky.
You couldn’t help but know Yacky. He got that nickname honestly, as he seldom met a stranger and he ALWAYS had something to say. He was a great storyteller and he had no shortage of stories to tell. He was particularly fond of sharing the history of ABATE and was proud to be there at the beginning to help founder Wanda Hummel. Not only was he a life member, but Yacky was also an actual 47-year member, first joining ABATE of Indiana in 1975. He attended a ton of events and was a photographer for "Hoosier Motorcyclist" for many years. Anytime you saw three people in the “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” pose, you knew that was an image that Yacky shot. He was an incredible source of information and I consulted him many times. I was lucky to be with Yacky, his daughter Felice, and other family members late Friday afternoon to let them all know just how much he meant to us.
Although we were not ready to let them go, as strong as these two men were, they would go only when and if they were truly ready. We will miss them both and are grateful for the time that we shared with them.
Ride in Peace Scott and Yacky,