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Death of Thom Hickling, Broadcaster, Publisher and Musician

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

DEATH OF THOM HICKLING, BROADCASTER, PUBLISHER AND MUSICIAN
Killed in auto accident while visiting daughter in Zambia, Africa

By V. Glen Megill
Special to ASSIST News Service

LUSAKA, ZAMBIA (ANS) -- Thom Hickling, 51, a broadcaster, publisher and musician was killed in a tragic automobile accident on Tuesday, December 27, while visiting his daughter in Zambia, Africa.

Thom had been in Zambia to spend Christmas with his eldest daughter, Holly, 23, who has been working at the Meheba Refugee Camp in northern Zambia for the past four months. The two met in Lusaka the capital city and celebrated Christmas together. Holly was so happy for the visit from her dad.

In a touching email, Holly expressed her joy at spending Christmas with her dad. "My dad is here now! I’m so happy to see him for Christmas. He arrived in a red hat carrying a sack of goodies for me and Meheba including CDs, books, soccer balls, clothes, and more. It was wonderful! Mostly, I’m just happy to be with him."

On Christmas Day, Thom and Holly provided musical entertainment for guests at Kuomboka Backpackers Lodge Restaurant, where they were staying in Lusaka, singing Christmas carols and holiday songs with a little American folk, classic rock and blues added (see photo). They had a wonderful Christmas together.

Because Holly did not have transportation at the refuge camp, Thom wanted to give Holly a tour of Zambia during his visit. Pastor Christopher M'kandawire of ROCK of Africa Mission in Livingstone offered his personal car and arranged to have it brought to Lusaka from Livingstone, about 500km to the south. Thom and Holly were planning to return to Livingstone to spend New Year's at Victoria Falls, one of the 'seven natural wonders of the world.'

On Tuesday, December 27, they departed Lusaka for the five-hour journey north to the Meheba Refugee Camp. About one hundred miles north of Lusaka, at the town of Kabwe, Thom's vehicle was involved in a head-on collision.  Thom sustained mortal injuries and died at the accident scene.  A three year-old Zambian boy riding in the other vehicle died the next day at the hospital.

Holly sustained a broken leg, was treated at Kabwe General Hospital and then transported by US Embassy personnel to Lusaka for a journey home to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Thom Hickling was a longtime Christian broadcaster, growing up in the broadcasting family of the late Bob and Dolores Hickling. Hickling Broadcasting operated Christian radio stations in the Pittsburgh area for many years.

Expression, a monthly newspaper serving the Christian community of Pittsburgh was founded by Thom and his wife Cathy, and Thom served as editor.

Thom was also involved in television at Cornerstone Television in Pittsburgh. When MTV was still in its infancy, Thom Hickling joined "Lightmusic," the award winning Christian music video show produced by the late Tom Green. Thom and Cathy Hickling along with Green, later co-created "His Place," a daily hybrid talk show set in an all-night diner. Thom described "His Place" as having a "talkumentary" format, part talk-show, part documentary.

For the past few years Thom made his home in Baltimore, Maryland where he was a writer for financial publications. He is survived by his mother, Dolores, Crafton, PA; a brother Paul of Pittsburgh; sister Judi Handy, Mission Viejo, CA; and children David, Holly, Ben and Jeana. Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.

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