Rest peacefully, timberlandko

I don't know why I'm so affected by that Chumly. I don't think I've been here or known timber long enough to feel this loss as strongly as I do.

edgarblythe just passed along this sad news.

I've been away from the A2K family for quite some time, and thought it would be a good idea to return and say how much I liked and respected Kevin.

No one on this forum could I have disagreed with more and more often and yet, as others relate, he had a warm heart. His advice on spyware was invaluable to me in the early days (2003, heh). He suggested pop-up blockers when that was something that was driving us all crazy. I used one of his links to download something called "Stinger". It quickly zapped a nasty virus, and I never appropriately thanked him for that.

I sometimes thought of him as an online Johnny Appleseed; traveling the countryside, spreading his tasty goodness to all he met along the way. This analogy was particularly apropos when sometimes his words hit me like a bite of a cold Granny Smith.

I've met many A2kers but I never met Kevin. Still it feels like I have lost a family member, a big brother maybe. With the passing of my wife's father one week ago, this grieving thing is becoming just a little too familiar.

He came to my blog not long ago and posted a note. Just one of those little teasing things he liked to do to those of us with whom he was not sympatico politically speaking. I almost paid a return visit that day, but life and my revised online habits kept me from it. As some of you recall the forum recently experienced an outage and I got an e-mail from Bumblebee Boogie introducing me to the Panic Room (where to go if A2K suddenly went away, as Abuzz often and finally did). In that e-mail string timberlandko posted a note growling that the site was just fine, up and running and OK and would continue to be. It was classic timber: parts helpful, informative, grouchy, and kind all at the same time.

I knew he loved his dogs, I knew he was a Marine, I knew he was too heavy and smoked too much, I knew he loved his wilderness abode way the **** out there in northern Wisconsin. I knew he had a bleeding heart even though he was a hard-and-fast Republican.

I know now that he touched each of you as he touched me: as a fine man and a great soul.

Vaya con Dios, Kevin.

I am at a loss for words. Kevin was such a rock, with a clear eye, and a great mind. I will miss him terribly.

I have had so many discussions with timber, I feel I know him. I noticed that he hadn't posted for several days and felt something was wrong. He had a lot more to contribute and on an amazing variety of subjects. His death is very untimely.

A2K is only one of the many worlds that Kevin's death leaves bereft.

RIP, Timber. You are sorely missed.

Just read about the passing of Timber....shocking news to say the least.

His unique personality and fair play will be missed indeed.

No. Have to digest this.

Sending out serious warm energy to his family.

In the midst of some young poster angst back on March 2, timber wrote:



I smiled when I read that, as well as the little spouting off of the poster that followed. I knew what the other poster didn't - timber could make that decision. But, what I loved was how it reminded me of a kind father stepping into the room to check on the ruckus, issuing a gentle warning, and then letting the kids work it out. I read quickly through to the next page, expecting him to come back with ... something. Something gently wise again to let them know he was serious.

He didn't.

It's always so sad to learn that someone has left us...

We'll miss you.

RIP Timber.

Thanks for the pic, ebeth.

I don't think I've ever shed tears over an online eulogy before but yours got to me, jespah.

I've crossed swords with Timber more than once but he was a respected opponent and I always liked him. He was kind, a quality that deserves more attention than it gets.

He was writ large on A2K; it will be a while until I get used to his absence.

Only 60, so young....

*stunned* I don't know what to say. I've been busy with my own things for the last week and signed in this morning to find this. I'm at a loss for words.

RIP Timber. You'll be missed by many, many people.

More than anything, I would like to see timber tell us that the report of his death is "an unsupported assertion, a straw man, and a red herring."

Kevin left this message in the memorial guestbook of Paul Mesbur
(known here as Cavfancier):

G'night, Cav. Sleep well. We'll see ya later. Timber

Thank you, Jespah, for the sad announcement and for your lovely sentiments. Also thank you, ehbeth, for the picture. Though I am not a prolific writer on A2K, I am a prolific reader. I rarely failed to read Timber's postings which were usually very informative when technical and well thought out when political. Few regulars wrote with less venom. I will truly miss him. My condolences go out to all of his family.

Re: Rest peacefully, timberlandko


When I was young, people referred to that "the soul is flying towards heaven". (The saying actually is centuries old.)

Yes. I'll raise a glass of something fizzy for him tomorrow.

Walter, yes, I think so, the sound of the dove.

I am shaking while I type this, it's hard to answer everyone but rest assured I will print this thread and mail it to J. so she will know how all of you feel and what you said. Thank you all for the pictures, the poems, there are songs on the WA2K thread, there are pictures of bald eagles on the Beautiful Animals thread, you are, all of you, the best of people.

A2K is you.

I saw this news just before turning off the computer last night, couldn't really process it enough to respond. (The kid is sick again and needed attention immediately.) Lots of tears reading what has been written since. Thanks Beth for the picture. Kind of want to enfold people who were at that gathering in a special embrace. But then everyone else who knew him well, too, and that gets to be an absolutely enormous embrace.

The detail about big Sam really got me (great job on the eulogy, Jes), and his last post, and his first post, and his avatar, and the "stricken eagle..." Really gone? Not possible.

But the beautiful (and eerie) thing about the internet is that of course he's not gone -- he's all over the place on A2K and will continue to be.

RIP, Timber...