November 19, 2009.

Many terms are used to describe the Ohio - State Michigan game. War. Battle. Life and Death.

Sadly, death hangs heavy in the air tonight for the Buckeye Nation.

Stefanie Spielman has lost the only battle that really matters, her more than ten-year fight with breast cancer. The Columbus Dispatch is reporting she passed away this evening at her Upper Arlington home.

On October 23rd, in the wake of the Buckeye's loss, I posted a piece below with a link to a story about the Spielman family and asked for prayers. This evening, once again Chris and the children need the prayers of the Buckeye Nation, and the post of Michigan jokes I had intended to write is woefully inappropriate.

The Dispatch already has up a wonderful tribute to Stefanie, Chris, and the journey they endured. The battle and the fight was a courageous one that will leave a lasting legacy. What started in 1998 as a goal to raise $250,000 for breast cancer research has blossomed into a $6.5 million Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research. In the 11 years she battled the disease, Stefanie accomplished more for the well-being of others than most of us will in our entire lifetimes.

How ironic that Stefanie, like Bo before, leaves us on the eve of a game in which she cheered and Chris played, a game that embodies all they stood for and the sport and the school they both loved. In a week that sees both Buckeyes and the opposition get all worked up, she leaves us with one lasting lesson...in the end the game of life is the only one that really matters.

Read the tribute at the Dispatch Website and be sure to view the pictures. She was a beautiful lady... both inside and out.

Columbus Dispatch Tribute to Stefanie Spielman