No. 97 - R.I.P. Gary Quarles

I was deeply saddened today when I saw this picture on the front page of the WSJ. His name is Gary Quarles. He was 33 years old. He had a wife and two young children. And he died in the mine accident in West Virginia. Yes, I am aware that there are thousands of ways to die. And eventually we must all go. But today I am saddened that Gary's children won't have their father to tuck them into bed tonight and I am thankful for my good fortunes.

I found the following written about Gary Quarles in this article:

Gary Quarles' life was consumed by his wife and two children.
The 33-year-old from Naoma, W.Va., took trips every summer to Myrtle Beach, S.C., with the kids, ages 9 and 11, as well as his wife. The family often went fishing along the New River there.
"He liked to hunt and spend time with his kids," Janice Quarles said. "That was about it. That's all he did."
He liked to hunt everything from raccoons and deer to wild boar, and he had wanted to stay home from work Monday because his children were still on Easter break, she said.
Janice Quarles said her husband was a quiet, laid-back man nicknamed "Spanky." She was told of his death by a Massey official.
Gary Quarles started coal mining when he was 18. He was among those finishing a 10.5-hour shift when the explosion happened, his wife said.

I learned that more than 90 percent of the coal mined in the U.S. each year is used by the U.S. electrical power industry. I learned that coal accounts for about half of electricity production in the U.S. I learned that the top coal mining state is Wyoming, followed by West Virginia, Kentucky and Pennsylvania.