Patty calls it the “Walt Effect.” But it’s about more than Walt ... and Patty.

Their story is about all of us. How we connect. How we help each other in simple ways and often don’t realize the impact. Patty, of Mt. Prospect, explains it with the passion it deserves. Here is what she told me:

“I got to know Walt through a razor-thin connection that has gone on to make such a tremendous difference in my life in such a short time. He worked as a pilot with my dad decades ago. I had initially emailed him about the notification of my dad’s death for a newsletter after finding his name as a contact person for the retirement group.

“I came to understand that he’s the ‘go-to person’ for so many others. He’s been a connection to my dad in my grief and has been able to explain some of the pilot stuff that I’ve come across in going through my dad’s stuff.

“Walt has not only brought joy to my life but has renewed my faith in humanity. In a time when there’s so much negativity, criticism, judgment and division there are still people out there who do the polar opposite; they connect people, help people, spread goodness and comfort and fun.

“They make people’s lives better and not just for a moment in passing [which is still a wonderful thing, not to diminish it] but with lasting effect – things long, if not forever, remembered. What’s so often overlooked about the ‘go-to person’ is that it’s ultimately a service to others.

“To convey to Walt the enormity of my gratitude I’m hoping to share my thoughts and feelings in this format with you [one that I know he’ll see] and your readers and make you aware of what I’ve termed ‘The Walt Effect’ and encourage others to become that person for those around them [or those they encounter].

“Also, to encourage those who are similar ‘affectors’ to continue their good work because it impacts so many others and propagates like wildflowers, which seems to be needed now more than ever.

“I would wrap up my thoughts on ‘The Walt Effect’ with the phrase: So, good people, let’s go out there and affect!”

Walt, of Woodstock, says he is the one who is grateful.

“I flew with her dad during my career with United and enjoyed every minute of it,” Walt said. “The guy just epitomized Joe Cool, totally in calm control of everything.

“Patty asking me questions about ‘stuff’ from Jim’s old flight bag stirred countless latent memories of mine, things and people I hadn’t thought about for years, which I recounted in my own written family history as appendixes and add-ons.

“Because one of the artifacts in the bag was Jim’s retirement flight plan from 1994, I thought it’d be cool to enhance that flight for Patty. So with some input from two fellow pilots and two fellow mechanics, plus a little elbow grease of my own, we provided her with an Oceanographic chart with the route from Osaka to San Francisco drawn on it, a legend of what all the gobbledegook in the printouts meant, plus a 747 model [which she bought] with the correct registration number of THE one Jim flew that day.”

Patty was given that gift at a surprise lunch in July. This is what Walt does, helping retirees with what he calls “various little things.”

“And the ‘why,’ I guess, is because if it’s got to do with airplanes, I’m interested,” Walt said. “Getting bitten by the aviation bug is a lasting and ‘fatal’ bite that causes one to look up every time an airplane flies over.”

“I’m indebted to her for bringing back so many memories of my own career,” he said. “We’ve got a real win-win friendship.”

It feels good to show their kind of connection that grows when people simply help each other. We forget how far a helping hand can stretch. Like Patty said: “It impacts so many others and propagates like wildflowers.”

• Lonny Cain, retired managing editor of The Times in Ottawa, also was a reporter for The Herald-News in Joliet in the 1970s. His PaperWork email is lonnyjcain@gmail.com. Or mail the NewsTribune, 426 Second St., La Salle IL 61301.