A tribute to one of the best

 I was a senior in high school the first time I met George Watkins.
 One of the perks of stringing for The Californian back then was GW sent a photographer out to shoot the MTAL track finals, center-piecing me in the paper anchoring a winning relay team.
 Over the next 20 years, I got to know his passion for high school sports -- and the Giants of course. He sacrificed a lot over a 36 plus year career for his readers.
 GW went a decade without ever calling in sick. There were countless Friday's where it was just he and I in a newsroom after midnight, finishing up Friday night football.
 Some of his values rubbed off on me when I made my move to The Herald. One thing that was never lost was our friendship -- and a ticket from Reno each Christmas.
 Hey, we won two four-team parlays in 25 years.
 His dedication to his profession made GW a throwback. His longevity is the most impressive, how he handled the stress. I can tell you now I won't be doing this when I'm 65.
 The beauty of this is that tributes often come from those that have passed. George is moving on with his life, healthy and stress free.