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Author Topic:   RobinRohan has died
Percy
Member
Posts: 22392
From: New Hampshire
Joined: 12-23-2000
Member Rating: 5.2


Message 31 of 133 (889816)
10-10-2006 3:56 PM


HIs Memory Lives On
Let us not forget one of robinrohan's most inspired creative efforts here at EvC Forum, Comments on EvC Forum: A Play.

RickJB
Member (Idle past 4991 days)
Posts: 917
From: London, UK
Joined: 04-14-2006


Message 32 of 133 (889817)
10-10-2006 3:59 PM
Reply to: Message 1 by Faith
10-10-2006 12:43 PM


Fare thee well, Robin Of Rohan.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by Faith, posted 10-10-2006 12:43 PM Faith has not replied

Faith 
Suspended Member (Idle past 1445 days)
Posts: 35298
From: Nevada, USA
Joined: 10-06-2001


Message 33 of 133 (889818)
10-10-2006 4:09 PM


For me Robin's death is a great loss, even though I only knew him via email and on EvC. I felt a special affinity with him which to some extent he seemed to share despite his rejection of Christian belief. I considered him in particular clear-headed, logical and rational in the comments he made and queries he raised, although others here said the opposite about him. They were wrong.

We exchanged at least a few words every few days. That's how I knew something was seriously wrong after more than a week of no contact at all. I knew he was unusually busy this semester so I chalked up his silence to that for a while, but by this last weekend I had a terrible dread about it and finally had to call his school on Monday.

I did get to know quite a bit about his real life but I feel he was a very private person who would not want that part of his life brought into this. His life here was a life of ideas.

I can give you the particulars that he was 58, he lived in the Houston area, had been born there and lived in Texas his whole life. He was married and had children and grandchildren. His father had had ambitions to be a writer that were never realized, and Robin seems to have followed in his footsteps. The last discussions he and I had were about excerpts from some writing I was encouraging him to do.

I'd like to second what Buz said. Death can come awfully swiftly, in the middle of a sentence, the middle of a thought. Iano and I have been hoping for a long time that Robin would give himself to Christ but he seems to have resisted it to the end. We can still hope there was a last-minute conversion but there's no way to know. He certainly seemed to have an attraction to the things of God. He respected the Biblical text, though mostly from a literary point of view. Many of his favorite quotations, including the signature that has been quoted here, come from great Christian men of God, such as William Law, Jonathan Edwards, Pascal, Samuel Johnson. Sometimes he came under attack here for his defending of the "fundies" and was mistaken for one at times. It's terrible for someone to be so near and yet so far. You never know when death is going to take away all possibility of another chance.

His 58th birthday was on September 25th, just five days before he died. I kidded him about being so old, though he was younger than I, but I also seriously sent him the quote from Ecclesiastes that he said his father used to recite, and told him that instead of just enjoying the sound of the rolling words that would give him spine tingles, he ought to take it to heart:

Ecc 12:1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; ...Ecc 12:5 ...because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets: Ecc 12:6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern. Ecc 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. Ecc 12:8 Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all [is] vanity.

Edited by Faith, : No reason given.

Edited by Faith, : No reason given.

Edited by Faith, : No reason given.

Edited by Faith, : No reason given.

Edited by Faith, : No reason given.


Replies to this message:
 Message 45 by kuresu, posted 10-10-2006 6:00 PM Faith has replied

Faith 
Suspended Member (Idle past 1445 days)
Posts: 35298
From: Nevada, USA
Joined: 10-06-2001


Message 34 of 133 (889819)
10-10-2006 4:11 PM
Reply to: Message 29 by GDR
10-10-2006 3:39 PM


I have no doubt that Robin was a wonderful teacher. I'm sure that all of his students are in mourning as well as his family. My prayers go out to all of them.

He said he did get a plaque for being most popular teacher at some point.


This message is a reply to:
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Tusko
Member (Idle past 101 days)
Posts: 615
From: London, UK
Joined: 10-01-2004


Message 35 of 133 (889820)
10-10-2006 4:27 PM
Reply to: Message 1 by Faith
10-10-2006 12:43 PM


I'm totally gutted.

robinrohan was a very important part of the EvC fun and games. His posts are challenging and above all good to read. I'm sorry he isn't going to be able to contribute anything anymore.

The 5192 fragments of his singular thinking preserved here will, I suspect, remain a continuing source of enjoyment for me.

My thoughts go out to his friends and family, whoever and wherever they are.

Thanks for telling us, Faith.


This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by Faith, posted 10-10-2006 12:43 PM Faith has not replied

Faith 
Suspended Member (Idle past 1445 days)
Posts: 35298
From: Nevada, USA
Joined: 10-06-2001


Message 36 of 133 (889821)
10-10-2006 4:56 PM


Anyone here inclined to pray should pray for his wife in particular at this time, and for one of his older brothers who is dying of lung cancer, and that brother's wife who was just diagnosed with leukemia. Who would ever have thought they'd have outlived Robin.

Brad McFall
Member (Idle past 5033 days)
Posts: 3428
From: Ithaca,NY, USA
Joined: 12-20-2001


Message 37 of 133 (889822)
10-10-2006 4:56 PM
Reply to: Message 15 by CK
10-10-2006 2:07 PM


sad says less than I feel
This is terrible. Robin was one of the few that stuck up for me rationally and Robin's rationality was one I wished we all had on EvC.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 15 by CK, posted 10-10-2006 2:07 PM CK has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 38 by Faith, posted 10-10-2006 4:58 PM Brad McFall has not replied

Faith 
Suspended Member (Idle past 1445 days)
Posts: 35298
From: Nevada, USA
Joined: 10-06-2001


Message 38 of 133 (889823)
10-10-2006 4:58 PM
Reply to: Message 37 by Brad McFall
10-10-2006 4:56 PM


Re: sad says less than I feel
Me too, Brad. He said he understood you, that it was worth the pains to figure out what you were saying.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 37 by Brad McFall, posted 10-10-2006 4:56 PM Brad McFall has not replied

crashfrog
Member (Idle past 1467 days)
Posts: 19762
From: Silver Spring, MD
Joined: 03-20-2003


Message 39 of 133 (889824)
10-10-2006 5:01 PM
Reply to: Message 20 by Admin
10-10-2006 2:43 PM


A tragic loss.

Do people feel it would be inappropriate or an invasion of privacy if we asked for more information about the real person?

In a sense, there is no RobinRohan any more real than the one we knew. Sure, there was a real person doing that typing, but people on the internet often post from a kind of "alternate" version of themselves. We saw him through a unique window to his self.

I think it's better to celebrate him as we knew him rather than pry into his offline existence. His friends and family are in a much better position to celebrate that part of him, and it would be arrogant for us to attempt to appropriate that function.

Instead lets remember him as we are uniquely suited to - as RobinRohan of EvC. I'll always remember him as a logical prankster, and I can't ever forget the origin of his username.

Edited by crashfrog, : No reason given.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 20 by Admin, posted 10-10-2006 2:43 PM Admin has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 44 by Tusko, posted 10-10-2006 5:55 PM crashfrog has not replied

DorfMan
Member (Idle past 6081 days)
Posts: 282
From: New York
Joined: 09-08-2005


Message 40 of 133 (889825)
10-10-2006 5:03 PM
Reply to: Message 14 by Faith
10-10-2006 1:35 PM


Re: No offense meant.....BUT
quote:
I've had my own moments of disbelief.

The sudden loss of my own has yet to heal.

Please, if there is a chance you should be able to convey condolences to his family, count me in as a proper, if distanced, mourner.
I'm so sad!


This message is a reply to:
 Message 14 by Faith, posted 10-10-2006 1:35 PM Faith has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 42 by Faith, posted 10-10-2006 5:44 PM DorfMan has not replied

bernd
Member (Idle past 3981 days)
Posts: 95
From: Munich,Germany
Joined: 07-10-2005


Message 41 of 133 (889826)
10-10-2006 5:37 PM


quote:

Nach neuen Meeren.

Dorthin – will ich; und ich traue
Mir fortan und meinem Griff.
Offen liegt das Meer, in’s Blaue
Treibt mein Genueser Schiff.

Alles glänzt mir neu und neuer,
Mittag schläft auf Raum und Zeit –:
Nur dein Auge – ungeheuer
Blickt mich’s an, Unendlichkeit!

Friederich Nietzsche


Fare well, Robin!


Faith 
Suspended Member (Idle past 1445 days)
Posts: 35298
From: Nevada, USA
Joined: 10-06-2001


Message 42 of 133 (889827)
10-10-2006 5:44 PM
Reply to: Message 40 by DorfMan
10-10-2006 5:03 PM


The "real" Robin
I'm not really in a position to convey condolences to the family. Robin used his work email in our communications and didn't give his home address. He knew more about me than I did about him in that respect. I did google him of course and I know where he lived and COULD write to his family, or phone, but since he didn't give me the information himself I think that could be an unwelcome intrusion. I pray for them.

And I have to say I agree with crashfrog right above your post. Well put, crash.


This message is a reply to:
 Message 40 by DorfMan, posted 10-10-2006 5:03 PM DorfMan has not replied

Trixie
Member (Idle past 3706 days)
Posts: 1011
From: Edinburgh
Joined: 01-03-2004


Message 43 of 133 (889828)
10-10-2006 5:48 PM


Stunned
I'm deeply saddened by the news of Robin's death. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.

Tusko
Member (Idle past 101 days)
Posts: 615
From: London, UK
Joined: 10-01-2004


Message 44 of 133 (889829)
10-10-2006 5:55 PM
Reply to: Message 39 by crashfrog
10-10-2006 5:01 PM


username mystery
crashfrog writes:
I can't ever forget the origin of his username.

I missed that post! I'd be very greatful if you could explain, or if its easier point me in the direction of the reason for his username.

Cheers!


This message is a reply to:
 Message 39 by crashfrog, posted 10-10-2006 5:01 PM crashfrog has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 92 by Faith, posted 10-12-2006 1:27 PM Tusko has replied
 Message 96 by Modulous, posted 10-12-2006 3:28 PM Tusko has not replied

kuresu
Member (Idle past 2513 days)
Posts: 2544
From: boulder, colorado
Joined: 03-24-2006


Message 45 of 133 (889830)
10-10-2006 6:00 PM
Reply to: Message 33 by Faith
10-10-2006 4:09 PM


I always thought he was from europe. huh.

anywho, kind of like my grandad--he died but two days after his 85 this summer.

makes you wonder how the rest here will know if or when someone has died? I'd hate to be told about to others with "he just doesn't post here anymore".

it makes me think about how old a lot of you all here are.

another question--what happens when you go, Percy?
I second your thought on creating the memorial forum, macabre as it sounds.

this is almost too surreal.


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This message is a reply to:
 Message 33 by Faith, posted 10-10-2006 4:09 PM Faith has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 48 by Heathen, posted 10-10-2006 6:16 PM kuresu has not replied
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