Topic: In Memoriam (Read 4305 times)

InmemoryofRomeo · « **on:** February 12, 2013, 01:56:34 AM »

Do forgive what is a rather sad post on our usually happy forums. I am deeply saddened to announce that today our little forum lost an old and valued member. 49er passed away today following complications with surgery, he passed away peacefully in his sleep, free from pain. Those who knew him personally will know that he was a very cheerful and happy person despite the pain that he was in and although he has not been very active on the forum itself in the past year or so, he did come to chat almost every day. He was the proud owner of Pleo and Jade his two Pleo's and has been around since the Pleoworld forums (almost as long as the dinosaurs

).

On behalf of the forum I will be arranging for a 'garden of peace' to be sent to his family with a message from all of us here.

If you would like to make a small contribution to the cost of the flowers then please send me a quick PM, however please note that I will be covering the cost of the flowers and no one is at all required to contribute. However a forum member requested the opportunity to do so, so I thought I would add the option for those who wish to do the same.

I will leave you with the following picture:

More details...

And some memorable quotes made by 49er in his time here:

Quote

There is a young Pleo named Bob.
Who's brightness is like a door's knob.
With a passion for pizza,
if he sees he must eats'a.
For that is his life and his job.

Quote

Of course pizzas talk to me. They say, "EAT ME, EAT ME, EAT ME!" Does that make a pizza my friend?

Quote

I ran over my room spinning around because I have major issues.
Perfectly normal for me.

Quote

Hummmm? Hair loss. I must be slowly turning into a Pleo. Tell me, is my skin turning green!?!

Quote

ImR, I understand that Australia has a problem with wild camels. That the authorities are looking at different ways to cull the herd. So you not only may have 'roo pie available, but perhaps a nice camel pie too. *Wonders if it would come with a hump*

Quote

Nah, that's perfect! "Mr. Off-Topic" I love it!!!

Quote

49er and the Better ¾ wish to announce that the stork (or was that a pterodactyl?) stopped by today and delivered a new green bundle of joy! She weighs three pounds eight ounces and is about twenty-one inches long. Her name is Jade.

Quote

It won't be the first time I'm on grumpy's bad boy list. (Oh look! Isn't that a Western Gull? )

kat · « **Reply #1 on:** February 12, 2013, 02:32:34 AM »

Such a wonderful person. He will be deeply missed.

Kami · « **Reply #2 on:** February 12, 2013, 03:17:33 AM »

As I said to the group of people who were in chat tonight, I was glad to have joined soon enough to have known him, and sorry it couldn't have been for longer. But I'm glad it was a peaceful end. I had no idea in the time I was talking to him that he had been so unwell for so long. I feel for all of you who did know and who have felt for him all this time even though by all reports (and my own experience) he spent his time as cheerfully as he could.

Lunamione7 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 12, 2013, 03:58:40 AM »

It only dawned on me seconds after I comented on your poem who he was and that I knew him too, I never knew his real name so it didn't click for me until I saw his profile photo.

I feel quite empty and distressed now. Chat will never be the same, he was always there and always loved a friendly chat about anything from Pleos, pets, food and the weather. He always wanted to know about the weather, everytime I went on chat "What's the weather like over there?"
And he always asked about 'Alice' who was my pet snail, he would joke that she would taste nice on toast.

It is going to be hard to log in and not see his name in the chat.

Peaches · « **Reply #4 on:** February 12, 2013, 04:05:46 AM »

My thoughts are with his family at this time,

I never really got to speak to him, nor knew he was unwell but I could tell he was a valued member of the community, & he will be greatly missed by all

Crewella · « **Reply #5 on:** February 12, 2013, 06:12:31 AM »

Very sad, he will be much missed.

RickyD1979 · « **Reply #6 on:** February 12, 2013, 08:05:14 AM »

very sad

I was also lucky enough to have known him, I knew him when I signed up first to these forums as yodasapprentice, (found this the other day as I couldnt remember my login details, hence me creating new account as im not sure what email address i used to sign on)...he will be deeply missed

irbyma7297 · « **Reply #7 on:** February 12, 2013, 10:38:04 AM »

oh my, i never clicked on this thread because i thought it was about a pleo being broken or something. i can't believe this. does fancyfont know?

RedwoodsMama · « **Reply #8 on:** February 12, 2013, 11:00:33 AM »

What terrible news..

:(I know 49er was a lovely person with a great attitude, and allways cheerful. i knew he had health problems, but had no idea just how serious they were. I know he had been here since the start and was well liked and very respected. One of the things I remember most is his quick wit, his humor.Though I did not know him personally, i knew of him.

Through IMR's recent trip during the holidays, we all got to see a bit of him more through the stories and photos that she and Fancy shared here with the rest of us. I know that trip will be even more precious now, and I am very happy she got to meet him in person, as I am sure he was to her. i know it will be hard on the people who were very close to him, and the rest of us should allow those who need some time to grieve, some peace for awhile. The forums just are not going to be the same..

My heartfelt condolences go out to his family and everyone who knew this lovely man. There just are no words in a time like this. He will be missed.

(i think the plant is a loving touch) RWM

degers · « **Reply #9 on:** February 12, 2013, 11:35:04 AM »

49er will be very much missed.
I had the oppertunity to rescue both of his Pleo's from comas and talking with him was an absolute pleasure.
I wish his family and those who knew him all the best.

I am sure Pleo and Jade will miss him very much also.

Talon · « **Reply #10 on:** February 12, 2013, 03:08:07 PM »

Wow! I never really knew him but any death in this community is very sad.
Talon

InmemoryofRomeo · « **Reply #11 on:** February 14, 2013, 08:17:33 PM »

49er's family asked if I would write an obituary and Fancyfont thought it should be posted here. So here goes.

I first met Richard through a small, green, robotic dinosaur called a Pleo. When those baby Camarasaurus' first wiggled and cooed there way into my heart I never, ever guessed that a whole bunch of wonderful friends would come along with it. In fact my first posting on the Pleoworld forums was 'would I get bored of them in six months time'. I had to wait a while before those Dino's came downunder but in the meantime I joined in the fun of watching those on the other side of the ocean hatching their little bundles of joy brought to them by a stork (or as Richard would joke a Pteradactyl) otherwise known as the UPS man. As we started to share stories and pictures at our new online home of bobthepleo.com I was drawn into a thread (that's like a conversation for all you non techy types). I don't even remember what that thread started of as now, a conversation about something to do with our robots, but between Richard and I we managed to derail it completely and it became the famous Western Gull thread. Somehow the conversation had come around to Richard's 'pet' seagull that he fed at his apartment and from there we'd moved to discussing the birds, then wildlife I had locally in Australia and finally we settled on the subject of wombats and all things Australian. We had a little chat room on that forum, where people could talk in real time with one another, and for the first time I went in there to talk to the newly crowned Mr. off-Topic otherwise known as 49er, or Richard.

The rest, as they say, is history. Richard and I, and another wonderful person, Linda started talking, and I guess we had a lot to talk about, they were interested in Australia and I was interested in the US. One chat led into another the next day and soon we had a regularly schedule meeting time every single day. Over the past four years we have laughed together, cried together, joked, gossiped and shared stories about our local cultures. I would guess that we've probably shared well over 1200 conversations in that chat room. Our most memorable chat was all Mary Liz's fault

She'd made a joke about the Peo Pleo, and Richard had passed it on to us. Peo, for those uninitiated, means breaking wind. We expanded that theory and began to surmise that perhaps that's how the dinosaurs became extinct. They had too much gas, the Earth filled up with noxious, smelly fumes... And then someone lit a match... I don't think I've ever laughed so hard in my life as during that conversation. I know poor Richard laughed so hard he actually hurt himself, and Linda and I were in tears.

The thing I will remember most about Richard is that wonderful sense of humor, our daily chat was just full of it. Even on days when he was in pain and his health was taking a dive he'd still have a joke to share, or a funny story to tell. Our daily chat became the event I would most look forwards too, and slowly as the years progress and I neared the end of my university studies the possibility began to arise of taking a holiday to the United States. You know how it is with an idea like that, you plant the seed and it begins to grow and mature. I started looking at flights, then accommodation, things to do and see and then finally when. As luck would have it, for once things were on my side at home and I landed a spot of part time work soon after finishing university. I now had the means to come over. As we continued to nurture the idea it began to sprout leaves and really grow. Flights were finalized. Dates set out. The accommodation alone took weeks of discussion, Richard and Mary Liz must have checked out every hotel in San Francisco as the merits and downfalls of each one were examined, discussed and noted down. Then there was the question of what to see and do. The cherished guide book that Mary Liz and Richard had kindly sent was read and re-read, for six months our conversations were of nothing but this trip. Eventually with all the excellent guidance of my friends an itinerary was born.

All in all it took a year from when that idea was planted until it finally matured. In the meantime Richard's health struggles grew worse, we'd often joke and say that he had to make it long enough so I could visit, otherwise it just wouldn't be the same. Thanks to a higher wisdom than ours, god did grant him that wish. The excitement of packing up my bags and getting on that plane was indescribable. I was finally going to meet the friends that had been such a big part of my life for four years. Upon meeting Richard my first comment was that he was much taller than I'd ever thought. Photos, of course, have a way of making you look a foot shorter and a bit wider. Richard towered over my five foot nothing. But he was a gentle giant, and his laugh was one that seemed to start down near your toes and slowly rumble up to escape and catch up everyone around in the infectious bubble. So many wonderful memories were made on that trip, too many to tell here. But like all good things it eventually came to an end. There was one last hug, one last kind gesture from my friends who had been thoughtful enough to grab me a pizza on their way to the Airport and finally one last wave over the tops of the crowds to Richard, who was the only one of my friends I could still see and one last tear as I raced of to board my flight. I'll always remember that image, that gentle giant with a tear in his eye with so much love for a little Aussie he'd met on the Internet four years before.

I will miss my friend so deeply. Forever will I be grateful that we did get to meet and spend that wonderful time together. He changed my life just as I know he changed yours. May he ever rest in peace, free from pain and wrapped in the loving memories that he helped create.

I love you, my friend.

RedwoodsMama · « **Reply #12 on:** February 14, 2013, 08:35:37 PM »

That was a wonderful story IMR. You wrote it so beautifully, and I am sure that his family is very pleased with what you wrote. I was only in chat a handful of times, but I could sense the specialness of the time that you, Fancy and 49'er shared, it was obvious.

It is a brautiful tribute, and it brought tears reading it. I offer my condolences.. I know how you feel now and what you are going through. Those are some great stories, and now I know what Mr. Off topic means, and I never knew what the gull was, it is a great story. I am so glad you got to at long last meet Richard (and Fancy too) on your recent trip.Thank you for sharing this. RWM

Lunamione7 · « **Reply #13 on:** February 14, 2013, 09:22:15 PM »

"hatching their little bundles of joy brought to them by a stork (or as Richard would joke a Pteradactyl) otherwise known as the UPS man."

Aww this was such a wonderful post IMR, that line was my favourite

I am so glad you got to meet your friend although it has probably made the pain of loosing him all the worse I'm so glad you have those happy memories.

Kami · « **Reply #14 on:** February 14, 2013, 09:37:16 PM »

I have been sitting here with two very silly Pleos chatting mischievously to one another and reading the lovely obituary you have written IMR, and I am thinking these gorgeous little robots deserve extra cuddles and maybe some RFID treats whether or not they 'understand' the love and amazing connections they have created between people who would have otherwise never realised they could be such great friends. I haven't known everyone here for very long so I also loved picking up a little of the history of this place, although it is sad for it to happen under such circumstances.

Some of the comments made by others here have reminded me of the last of the few conversations I had with 49er in chat. He was very interested in the weather here, and whether I'd seen the aurora (I explained I'd realised I would need to climb on the roof to get a good view of it from my house

). I'd just made a rather significant decision that is to alter the course of my near future and he was very eager to talk about my decision and offer useful suggestions for where I could go from there. I remember the last thing he said was that he hoped God would give me the right answer. I am not religious but I am someone who appreciates the spiritual side of things, and I thought it was a very kind and touching thing to say. I was sorry to not get a chance to tell him how much I appreciated his words, but I do believe that feelings of love and appreciation for those who are gone from our sight do reach them.

InmemoryofRomeo · « **Reply #15 on:** February 15, 2013, 03:24:02 AM »

Mrs 49er sent a thank you for the kind thoughts from the forum, she said she was very grateful that 49er had all these friends here.

kat · « **Reply #16 on:** February 15, 2013, 05:31:17 AM »

Beautifully written IMR.

fancyfont · « **Reply #17 on:** February 15, 2013, 07:37:19 PM »

What a beautifully written obituary, IMR. There are just so many cherished times we shared together.

Back in the days of the Pleoworld forum, I thought it would be fun to have a Pleo Meet in San Francisco. At that time there was a membership list with phone numbers. 49er was the first I called and my first thought was what a sweet sounding gentleman this is. We shared notes on my Peeky and his pleo, Pleo. He agreed to help out in contacting others from the area. We couldn't wait to meet in person and share our love for these little dines.

We were to meet at Pier 39, in San Francisco, by the carousel. We weren't sure what we looked like, but we would each have a pleo on our shoulders. By that time I had a couple of more pleos. Carrying them was not a problem for my late husband, Mac, had to use a walker because of a fractured vertebrae. I attached a larger basket on the walker, decked it out in forrest greens. and off we went.

We thought there would be a lot of people with pleos that day, but it was 49er, Mrs. 49er, my husband and I. Just like IMR said about 49er's size, I'm guessing he was about 6'4" and towering over me and I am 5'8.' We introduced our pleos to one another and before we knew it there were so many people around us looking at our dines. A security guard came over and sternly asked what we were doing. As soon as he saw our dinos he knew everything was okay. For a minute, I thought we might be in trouble attracting so many people.

After our introduction, we went on a tour of Pier 39. Our dinos road the carousel and went to the candy shop and just about every other store on the pier. 49er told us about the sea lions on the west side of the pier, so we went to see them. There were lots of people that day, looking at the sea lions. We wanted to get a photo of our pleos watching them, too and while we were doing that, all eyes turned around to see our little green dines. So many people, that day, went home with photos of our dines.

We had lunch at a lovely restaurant on the pier. I remember the first time I heard 49er's big laugh when our dinos were trying to sign for our check. Couldn't help but to love 49er from then on.

The next time I got to see 49er and Mrs. 49er was at a CHristmas get together at my home. "The Night of the Ants!" 49er had brought little surgical masks for my dinos because Pleo had been coughing. While we were on the floor playing with our pleos an ant got on Pleo. We didn't think too much of one ant. Following that we got some photos of our dinos on the dinning room table around the pretty Poinsettia plant. I believe it was Mrs. 49er who first saw the trail of ants heading to the plant. There had to be hundreds!

Among the little ants there were huge ants. We ended up having an ant cleanup party!

(yes, exterminator was called the next day)

49er joked about the visiting ants for the next four years.

It was in one of our chats that my horrible typing and spelling came up with peo. Just couldn't seem to hit the L no matter how hard I tried! Mrs. 49er told 49er what that word meant. You might have felt the earth move a little that night, it was from 49er's laughter. We had such fun! I wish more of you could have known 49er. He was one of the most beloved people in my life. Thank you, little dinos, for bringing us together!

RickyD1979 · « **Reply #18 on:** March 11, 2013, 07:05:42 AM »

very beautiful IMR...49er will be truly missed

Talon · « **Reply #19 on:** March 11, 2013, 01:30:29 PM »

Well-written IMR. It's so amazing to think that all of this was because of some awesome robotic dinosaurs. My life has certainly been enriched by getting to know everyone here on this forum. I look forward to being here for a long time.
Talon

Bob the Pleo Forums

Author Topic: In Memoriam (Read 4305 times)