Editor’s Note: Kyle Lee passed away on March 6 at the age of 50. He worked at Creative Loafing as production/art director from 1991 to 2003 and returned for a brief stint handling art and web production in 2011-2012. We asked Ann Wicker, former CL managing editor who worked closely with Kyle for over a decade, to write a few words commemorating his time at the Loaf.
Over the last week as word spread about Kyle Lee’s death, his friends expressed shock, dismay and sadness — and an outpouring of concern for his family, especially wife Candace.
This concern was a perfect reflection of Kyle. He always thought about family and friends first.
We worked together at Creative Loafing for 10 years give or take. He was a talented graphic artist — I loved laying out newspaper pages with him. He could always make what we envisioned happen. He had a gift for design of both pages and ads, which in the newspaper business endeared him to both the editorial side and the advertising side. And that — believe me — was no small feat.
Kyle had a knack with computers and seemed to be able to make the recalcitrant machines we had back in the 1990s behave most of the time. He was also a talented guitarist and music lover. Sometimes folks who are creative aren’t practical, but Kyle could also help fix the brakes on your car.
He had a way of focusing on solutions, rather than problems, which served him well in the newspaper business and in life.
Personally, I regret that I hadn’t seen him in a while. I’d sometimes run into him at the grocery store, and we’d catch up. I will miss his warmth, his smile and his ability to connect with almost anyone.
Happy trails, dear friend.
— Ann Wicker
Associate Editor, 1991-1999
Managing Editor, 1999-2003
This article appears in Mar 4-10, 2015.
So well written Ann, as only you could do. What a fitting eulogy to our dear friend.
I first met Kyle while he was at The Charlotte Observer. I was CL Charlotte’s Advertising Sales Manager at the time (1989-1997). I called him to gauge interest in becoming CL Charlotte’s first production manager. When I called, he mistakenly thought i was Carl Kassell, famed NPR voice, since he’d just pledged to WFAE. Once we got past that, he realized i was calling him to interview for Creative Loafing.
He took the job and all of us were made better people by knowing him. He was creative, kind, thoughtful, friendly, and so funny. He turned me on to Nirvana before many knew who they were, while I was really into Lyle Lovett, Nanci Griffith and the like, and helped re-kindle my love for just great kick ass rock music.
And boy is Ann right, he was THE best ad designer that I’ve ever seen, and yet had a remarkable way with our editorial layout as well. If you’ve not worked in newspaper before, that really was saying something. What a talent.
And help you fix your car? You got that right too. He helped me fix my car’s battery, alternator, and helped understand why my tire was flat all the time. It’s the nail, stupid…No amount of air gonna keep that pumped up for long.
My heart goes out to Candace and his family.
Good bye Kyle, I love you.
That was so well said, Ann. He really could connect with anyone. And when you hear him tell his stories, you want to connect with him. He just had this way about him, that even if you hadn’t seen him in awhile, when you think about him, you can’t help but smile. Thinking of Kyle, his family and friends, and the CL family today.
My heart has been broken for days since I discovered the news about Kyle at 6:30 am Saturday morning. We were friends in the ‘brothers from other mothers’ sense. We took to the Macs back in the 80s like riding a bike, and came through the Observer ranks cranking out ads during the day, and enjoying Charlotte night life and weekend excursions camping and road-tripping across the Eastern half of the United States for several years. He ran the Loaf production while I ran the competing Break Magazine down the street. Bob Kastl, I remember well when I’d show up on an afternoon and hang out in the production room and you’d walk in and yell ‘BREAK GUY IN THE OFFICE! LOCK EVERYTHING DOWN!” Too many stories and adventures to even begin to tell.
I’ll miss him for the rest of my days. We are all better off for having known him.
Kyle always had a smile when you needed one and never said no to a request for help. He was one of the world’s truly good guys. RIP friend.
He was everything a friend could be….kind, sharing, devoted and his own person. Soulmate, best friend and husband to Candace Young. Although the loss is extensive, I can only think that God must have bigger plans for Kyle. Prayers to all. Be strong for Candance.