Personal and professional voids still remain one year after the passing of Blue & Gold icon Lou Somogyi

Looking back one year ago, I realize now that the passing of my esteemed Blue & Gold Illustrated editor and dear friend Lou Somogyi took much longer for me to accept than what I realized at the time.

I shared many tributes from others when he passed one year ago today and some personal stories from the 15 years I spent working alongside this journalistic icon until an apparent heart attack took his life. 

But even during and after Lou’s beautiful funeral mass inside the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at Notre Dame, or when this friend-to-all reached his final resting place at nearby Highland Cemetery I still didn’t fully grasp what was happening. 

Somogyi’s death came so suddenly and unexpectedly, his passing didn’t seem possible. 

The reality hit like a truck about two weeks after Lou’s funeral when his office chair sat empty inside the Notre Dame football press box for the 2021 Blue-Gold Game. Somogyi was a fixture at every Fighting Irish home football game, real or exhibition, for more than 40 years, and to see his seat left unoccupied finally affirmed that he was gone. 

In a heartfelt tribute, the folks at Notre Dame that day displayed Lou’s game credential, a framed photo, a silver pen, a spring game roster and a black rosary in the spot Lou would no longer fill. 

Louis “Lou” Somogyi Jr., died on April 17, 2021, at age 58. And while his presence and kindness are forever gone, his legacy and memory remain healthy and strong.

Notre Dame game days won’t be the same without Lou Somogyi.

Salute to @NDFootballPR for leaving a press box seat open for him. pic.twitter.com/UCWKqoxRii

— Patrick Engel (@PatrickEngel_) May 1, 2021

An exemplary life

Whether helping local elderly with basic errands, or celebrating his heritage by playing the organ for early-morning masses at Our Lady of Hungary Church, or simply providing a sounding board for rabid Fighting Irish fans to vent after a tough loss, Lou’s patient and caring nature are what defined his character better than the “encycLoupedic” knowledge of Notre Dame football he was most recognized for. 

And of all the amazing anecdotes and memories readers and friends of Lou shared upon his passing, one from a long-time buddy still stands out. 

A South Bend St. Joseph High School and University of Notre Dame classmate of Somogyi’s, Mike Morris recalled “Louie” playing the organ at a Hungarian funeral mass with the priest, an alter boy, the deceased and Lou as the only four attendees. 

“What did you do?” Morris asked after the service. 

“I played the best I have ever played in my life,” Lou responded. 

Staying the course

While trying to find our footing — and in some respects, trying to reinvent our product after the passing of Somogyi — this last year was challenging both professionally and personally for the entire Blue & Gold family. 

Routinely working sixty hours, seventy hours, even eighty hours a week, Lou was never phased because covering Notre Dame athletics is all he ever wanted to do. 

And since Somogyi made his craft look so easy and never complained, we didn’t fully appreciate the breadth of his contributions until they were gone. 

From copy editing, to page layout, to headline writing, to breaking news, to daily beat work, Lou had a hand in every step of the publishing process, and it took the entire BGI team an entire year-long magazine cycle to grasp, divvy and absorb Lou’s workload as best it could. 

And while Somogyi’s death marked the end of a 40-plus year run that turned a little-known niche startup magazine into America’s Foremost Authority On Notre Dame Football, the lessons he taught and the legacy he left provided a sturdy foundation to build upon for a new generation of talented Blue & Gold beat writers who are making Lou proud during this new era of Notre Dame football. 

No-nonsense BGI publisher Stu Coman built his long and successful career following the mantra that no employee is irreplaceable, but later admitted the following:

“I changed that statement after working with Lou,” Coman shared. “Now I say, ‘Almost everyone is replaceable.’ Lou was the rare talent that cannot be replaced.” 

Lou is survived by his wife, true love and soulmate Amalia; stepchildren Mike Vegh, Jennifer and Brandon Thomas, and Kimberly Vegh; step-granddaughter Noelle Thomas; his little spoiled fluffy white dog Belle, and a legion of faithful readers and followers who considered Somogyi a dear friend, even through many had never met this remarkable man in person.

In memory and tribute of our fallen colleague and friend, Blue & Gold Illustrated and BlueandGold.com established The Lou Somogyi Memorial Scholarship fund to help South Bend area students fulfill their dream of transferring from Holy Cross College to Notre Dame in the same way Lou did about 40 years ago. 

Click here for more details.