Sad news: Shane Artim has passed away

Shane with the Poklembas at the glorious Navy game tailgate.
Photos (except for Rendell) by Joni D. Stutman, CST �82

For the second time in this calendar year, it is my sad duty to report that a treasured member of our core fan base has passed at the all-too-young age of 46.
Shane Artim has gone too soon this time. Back in January, it was Dan Glammer.
News comes from fellow tailgater and D.C. alumnus and board member Michael Britton. Details to follow in the next couple of days. Right now, no details or arrangements have been released.
Both Artim and Glammer stuck around long enough to have the time of their young lives in the bowl game.
They will miss so many more great moments in Temple football history in the next few years.
If you look on Shane's Facebook page, Dan Glammer is right there.
Not surprising, since both were the same age, Temple grads and rabid (I mean, rabid) Temple football fans.
If all Temple grads followed Temple football like Shane Artim did, we'd never have any problems. There would be a waiting list of 175,000 alumni alone to get into the largest stadium in the MAC.
Unfortunately, too few are like Shane was.
For Artim, a leading member of Temple's D.C. Alumni group, going bowling in his adopted hometown was an extra-special treat.
He got to see Temple play a bowl game in his "second" hometown and played host to many of us who hadn't been to that beautiful city since we were kids.
Everyone who tailgates knows who Shane Artim, a 1987 Temple grad,  is.
All you have to do is look at the photos accompanying this story for the familiar friendly face.
This was a guy who had no qualms about walking up to anyone in the lot and talking Temple football.
To me, that's the beauty of our tailgates.
There are no cliques. Everyone talks to everyone else.
From Adrian Robinson's dad to regular fans like Ted DeLapp, the Temple football tailgate group is a tight one and growing into the high thousands with every game.
Shane was, like me, someone who started out in the newspaper business.
Unlike me, he wasn't willing to settle for the meager pay and benefits that come with the business so he struck out on more lucrative ventures.
He worked in government, was a legislative liaison and community activist, and even got his photo taken with Gov. Ed Rendell.
He even tried his hand at some comedy. (I got the idea he was more of a fan of comedy than someone who was funny himself.)
I would see Shane for a home game or two every year and he always had some good questions to ask.
I tried to answer them the best I could. He was a genuinely good guy.
Even though Lot K figures to be packed come Sept. 3, looking around the parking lot for Shane and realizing he won't be there will make it seem empty.
Click on Shane's photo and then SLIDESHOW to find a photo tribute:

Some great photos of Temple fan Shane Artim, enjoying the people and events, mostly tailgating, surrounding Temple football.
Photos by Joni D. Stutman, CST �82