June 18, 2007

WY: "I was extremely lucky enough to just call him 'Dad'"

From the Wyoming State Bar:

Ken Koski: a Man of Adventure - a Man of Integrity (1950 - 2006)

Dad was the epitome of a public defender. He was a juvenile specialist and enjoyed being able to help juveniles succeed. He believed strongly that there was no such thing as bad people, only good people who made poor choices. He got so much joy when he heard back from former clients who had turned their lives around. A few years ago he took me to dinner and he talked about applying for a judgeship. While most my attention was focused on the Rockies game, I indiscriminately said, “Why would you want to stop being a Public Defender? What you do is so noble.” At the time I thought nothing of it. Recently, my aunt told me how they had talked the next day and how he was so giddy and happy that I was proud of him and respected what he did...

(link via Kris Koski)

3 Comments:

Woman in Black said...

Great to see this about Ken Koski. The next issue of the Wyoming Lawyer is going to be about the pd's office, and Kris' whole article about Ken is included.

Unknown said...

Amazing!! I copied a sentence of the article I wrote (to see where it might be published on the internet) into a browser and it took me here. I thought the blogs I posted on myspace were for my friends to read. I had no idea that other people read those and expecially how a link would be posted on another website. A lot of what i put on my myspace page is not very serious and intended to be funny. The public defenders office asked me to write this article for the Wyoming Lawyer. I was in the middle of finals and had limited time to write it. It was very emotional and difficult for me to write. I had no idea that many ppl would read it. Ive never had any writing experience and I just wanted to write a story that put some of my thoughts on a piece of paper. For me (just like so many other sons and dads), my dad was a father, a best friend and a role model all in one. As humble as a person that my dad was, it makes me extremely proud that other people also cared about him and what he did. Im getting ready to leave for a backpack trip on friday and although he wont be physically there with me, I'll be in his place and he will be in my heart.

Bill Evans said...

Kris,

I worked with your father in the Cheyenne office and there is an irony here. When I chose to leave the Wyoming system your father took me to lunch and used the exact words you did to him. He commented that what we have chosen as careers is in fact a noble cause and encouraged me to continue doing so, even if not for the Wyoming system.

Your father was a man of integrity and passion for those who were up against immeasurable odds. There was no doubt that his family was his world, he spoke highly and often about you all.

Truly an inspiration and missed by many.