Hi all,
Having just come back to the list after having been away from it since
February, and then catching the tail end of posts that made it clear
something had gone horribly wrong in the Walt world, and trying over the
last few days to find out what exactly the story was...damn. It appears I
came back a bit too late to send Walt my well wishes. As a
curmudgeon-in-training, I always looked to Walt for inspiration. Though we
were poles apart on many issues, we did share a love of fine old motorcycles
and good cameras of all kinds. Whatever the position, he stated it with
humor and humanity. He was also a very generous man, when it came to
supporting friends in need. I'll miss him.
I looked back, and the subject line of the last OM list post I'd gotten from
Walt before I signed off in February was "OT probably controversial." I have
to quote it here, because it made me laugh, it was so...Walt.
"Sort of watching the Oscars. Glad Al Gore's film, "An Inconvenient Truth,"
won the best documenatry award. This is something we all need to think more
about. Sorry I'm not doing better. I'll try to do more. I at least recycle
crap."
I loved his tag line:
"Anything more than 500 yards from
the car just isn't photogenic." --
Edward Weston
To paraphrase my dear departed friend Yuri Rubinsky,
"Walt, good luck, Godspeed, and write if you find work."
Rob in Seattle
On 7/15/07 11:56 AM, "NSURIT@xxxxxxx" <NSURIT@xxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> Walt passed away peacefully this morning. Since leaving the hospital and
> going to hospice, all the tubes and other intrusions had been removed from
> his
> body and he was no longer restrained to prevent their removal. He was able
> to eat some real food a day or two ago. I am assuming most would consider
> scrabbled eggs and grits to be real food . . . it certainly is to a good
> southern boy. It was in this environment that Walt had some of your words
> read to
> him and had the opportunity to speak fondly of his many friends on the OM
> mailing list. His friends and family asked me to convey to the list what an
> important part each of you have been to Walt these past few years and the
> past
> few weeks. We were the people he chose to hang out with . . . we were his
> friends.
>
> In keeping with his wishes, no funeral is planned. In the event of a
> memorial service the list will be notified, however I suspect that is also
> something he would just as soon pass on.
>
> Good bye, old friend.
>
>
> Bill Barber
>
>
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