Editor’s note: This is a personal reflection on the impact Doug Rontz had on the community.

Starry, Starry night. Paint your palette blue and gray.The town of Jim Thorpe will be little less colorful this New Year, both figuratively and literally.Lifelong resident Doug Rontz passed away on New Year’s Day after a battle with cancer. He kept his sickness quiet, never wanting to concern others.

Shadows on the hills. Sketch the trees and the daffodils.Doug spent most of his adult life known as the “sign guy.” Although, calling Doug a sign guy is like calling Michelangelo a ceiling painter. His works of art can be seen all over the town of Jim Thorpe and beyond. He also did sign painting at Dorney Park in Allentown, and even repainted one of the carousels, which included hand painting each of the horses.

Now I understand. What you tried to say to me.When Doug talked about working for himself he would quip that there are three rules for being self-employed.1. The boss is an (expletive).2. You can take off whenever you want.3. Every day you take off you don’t get paid.Doug didn’t take off many days. Monday through Friday you could often find him traveling to Dorney Park to work on their signage all day, then toiling away in his shop well into the night. Every year his signs would get more impressive. After decades in the business he was still striving to improve. Whether it was learning to carve three-dimensional signs a few years ago, or the purchase of a new full-color printer to print photos or other artwork on just about anything.If Doug had one flaw as a businessman it was charging too little for his art, often literally giving it away.

Colors changing hue.Once the paintbrush was put down on a Friday afternoon another Doug came to life. He became the funniest, most loving, most legendary person you could ever meet.As hard as Doug worked during the week, he partied just as hard on the weekends.

Like the strangers that you’ve met.Doug was a well-known fixture at Molly Maguire’s Pub in downtown Jim Thorpe, known not only by the locals, but the tourists as well. Many people who would only come to town once or twice a year would ask for him by name when they visited the pub. That’s the kind of impression Doug left on everyone.Shortly after hearing of his passing my Facebook newsfeed was flooding with photos of Doug. One thing that was noticeable in every single photo was that the people around Doug all had huge smiles on their faces.That’s just the kind of joy Doug spread.The excerpts in this column are from the song “

Vincent” by Don McLean about the life and death of artist Vincent van Gogh. Doug and I often sang along with the jukebox to this song.That’s just one of the many things I will miss about him.