Motorcyclists' Tribute to a Hero
by Tara Newton
After watching a Buckeye football game with friends in September 2007, Jim and Nora "Tip" McCourt decided to take one more ride before heading home to Waverly.
The couple had been riding together since 1991 and cruising was their passion. The McCourts visited 42 states on their Harley; they were regulars at area poker runs and charity rides and had participated in Rolling Thunder five times.
"You never saw Tip without a smile on her face when she was on that bike," said Tara Newton, her daughter. "She loved that bike."
As Jim and Tip cruised along a country road that September day, they quickly gained on a trailer. As they drew closer to the vehicle in front of them, they realized it was stopped, but the trailer didn't have brake lights. It was too late, and Jim had to lay the bike down.
Tip was thrown from the bike and rushed to the hospital. Doctors tried everything to save her life, but the impact to her head shifted a mass in her brain that was, until then, undiscovered. The mass moved, causing a blood clot at Tip's brain stem and resulting in an irreversible loss of brain function. She was declared brain dead on September 2, 2007."She wouldn't have wanted to go any other way than on that bike with my dad," said Tara. And the motorcycle community turned out in full force to honor Tip's life at her funeral. "We stopped counting at 400 people," said Tara, "it was amazing."
Although they were devastated by the tragedy, Tip's family took comfort in knowing her spirit could ride on. Tip was a registered organ and tissue donor and was able to give the Gift of Life at the time of her death.
And less than a year after Tip's donation, the Gift of Life came full circle when Tip's grandson, Christian, received donated tissue to repair a torn ACL.
Tara is now an advocate for organ and tissue donation and promotes the cause in Southeastern Ohio. Her dad is still riding, knowing that Tip would have wanted it that way. Tara and her husband are both motorcycle enthusiasts and were touched when Tip's name was etched in the Motorcycle Memorial in Hopedale last Memorial Day.
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