Loss in the family

From the South Bound Tribune: Crash claims WSBT veteran

STEVENSVILLE -- He was the unseen face behind a steady, graceful television camera for two decades.

The man who caught on tape the glory years of the Fighting Irish under Lou Holtz.

The man who would tell WSBT-TV news anchor Mike Collins to "stand by."

And Collins would listen.

"He'd point his finger at us, and that was our cue. We were on," said Collins.

On Friday morning, Tommy Csiszar, the reliable journalist who earlier in his career used to chase breaking news stories with a 20-pound camera strapped to his shoulder, became the story.

The 48-year-old TV newsman was killed in a two-car, head-on collision on Michigan 139 in Royalton Township shortly after midnight Thursday.

He was heading to his St. Joseph home from the South Bend TV station.

I knew Tommy Csiszar. I didn't know him very well. I tend to have a problem of keeping my head down and plugging through my day. Over the past few months I'd started lifting my head up and sharing some hellos with Tom while cruising through the halls of our news empire. I never saw anything but a happy look on his face. He even had some great quips to bring you a quick smile.

Tom spent 20 years at WSBT. I hope after 20 years I can have the same ease and smooth demeanor. Even though I didn't know him very well, I do know that he was extremly likable and extremly liked.

Rest well Tom, you will be missed.