I called him on his cell phone for a comment a year ago on some local topic and caught him during a break in the very-tense national meeting of the AFL-CIO where the Teamsters were dropping out of the large union.

"Hey, Bob, there are guys walking around here carrying guns. You wouldn't believe it. I look forward to coming home," he laughed, even though there really were guys walking around the convention with guns.

Back in the day, Eddie was a heavy smoker. When he was diagnosed with lung cancer, he knew the cause, even though he had not smoked in years. He told those around him that he would work hard in whatever time he had left, warning of the dangers of smoking, and he did.

At 62, he was taken from us too soon.

No one is going to replace Eddie. All we can ask is that they work hard, as Eddie did, to represent working people and those in need through his union and his Senate district.

There are lots of pictures of Eddie that people carry with them. I'll keep in my mind his jumping into that Atlanta hotel pool, laughing.

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Deseret Morning News political editor Bob Bernick Jr. may be reached by e-mail at bbjr@desnews.com