Beautiful and insightful piece on Phil, Pete [Pub Notes, June 22]. I'm so grateful you did it.

Boy, do I remember that Rod Macho-Macovic thing! Phil acted like he was a little intimidated, but he wasn't. He loved causing that brouhaha. And he got hundreds of beers bought for him from telling that story.

He knew literature, old movies, current events—whenever I needed to know something, I always asked Phil. He once wrote nine stories for me in a single day. During my tenure, I doubt we could have put the paper out without him. John Toon was a better investigative reporter. Merrill Morris wrote better features. And Lee Shearer could write anything and did—still does. But Phil was the spine of the operation. I knew that as long as he was there I would always have enough professionally written copy.

He was one of the most remarkable people I've ever met. Your column does him justice, which is saying a lot.

Williams is a former editor of The Athens Observer.