They were both dealt hands that were absolutely nightmarish.
Perhaps the only positive in the ordeal is they could lean on each other, and in the process, formed a special friendship.
Ben White, Middleton’s boys volleyball coach and student activities coordinator, was diagnosed with lymphoma in Sept., 2019. Bob Joers, Middleton’s athletic director, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer one month later.
Over the next six months, the two men developed an unforgettable bond under the most trying of circumstances.
“Besides my family, Bob was my immediate support person, and I was his,” White said.
Unfortunately for White — and the entire community — that changed on May 15 when Joers lost his battle with cancer.
Stories flooded in how Joers touched so many lives in and around the area. But the relationship Joers and White built while battling cancer together was both inspirational and motivating.