IGX

My Step-Dad Bobby was a great guy. He wasn't so much a "Step-Dad" in the classical sense of the word to a skinny ginger like me- he wasn't just some dickhead who was banging my mom and who had weird ideas about "discipline" who I always butted heads with.

He was more like a friend, without being all weird about it. Whenever I was staying at my mom's he was always good to me is what I'm saying. He taught me to play chess, introduced me to some really great books like Hesse's Steppenwolf and of course- Tolkein's Lord of the Rings, stuff like that. And we talked at great length about all kinds of things, subjects that I found interesting. One summer when I was 8 or 9 I wanted a boomerang. I'd seen one at the toy store. He didn't buy it for me. Instead, he broke-out the jigsaw, a piece of plywood, and we cut it out. Next he explained how boomerangs work, and had me sand-down the wing planes just right so it'd fly correctly and come-back to me and hit me in the head after I threw it.

It was like having a really cool dad who you could always talk to, who'd always do stuff with you, and who would never hurt you in a million years no matter what a jackass you were. And for us, it worked. I was never a dick to him or anything like that...

Anyway, 14 years ago he got Waldenstroms. Some kind of weird blood cancer. He was in his very-late 60's. He followed Doctors' orders, took his meds, kept working hard at his job, kept exercising, and got better. Went into remission.

The second time around when it came back, he was training for the Senior Olympics. Kept right on working, right on training, did the Senior Olympics, and a while later, went into remission again.

It went in like that for a while, and then Lymphoma happened.

Cancer really picked a tough adversary, in my Step-Dad. He fought hard. And never, not once did he ever complain. Ever.

Last week the scan showed the lymphoma was spreading despite the experimental drugs, chemo, radiation, and so forth. He decided that was that, and that he didn't want to die in some crummy hospital.

He discontinued the drugs and the radiation, and had my mom bring him home.

She looked after him dutifully and yesterday morning, comfortable in his own bed, while listening to Wagner, he took a deep breath and passed away, on his terms, the way he wanted it. In a moment of lucidity the night before, he said to my mom- "It's too bad we closed the pool..." She asked "Why?" And he answered, "Because you could've given me a Viking funeral."

Never lost his wry sense of humor.

PBUH.

Sorry for your loss and congratulations to him on a life well lived.

Enjoy Valhalla, Bobby.

Sorry for your loss. So glad you had such a good man in your life.

Thanks, you guys.

He didn't know what IGX was, but I wanted to write him a little eulogy here.

Sorry for your loss. Sounds like an awesome guy.

Condolences, Kenny X. This is a great place for his eulogy and you gave us his heart and his soul.

Sorry to hear that.

PBUH

Condolences

My condolences. Your post makes a very important point though. One spiritual guru, Gurdjieff, once said two things that stuck in my head. One - why is everyone so anxious about living to the age of hundred: why, to be able to go to the office for longer? Second - it is not difficult to predict the future for most people: in five years time your life will be exactly as it is now. The point being - the quality of living is more important than quantity, and more remarkable short(er) life may beats longer mushroom-like existence.

Sangoma wrote:My condolences. Your post makes a very important point though. One spiritual guru, Gurdjieff, once said two things that stuck in my head. One - why is everyone so anxious about living to the age of hundred: why, to be able to go to the office for longer? Second - it is not difficult to predict the future for most people: in five years time your life will be exactly as it is now. The point being - the quality of living is more important than quantity, and more remarkable short(er) life may beats longer mushroom-like existence.

You hit the nail on the head. Live a quality life.

Sorry to hear this my friend. Rest in Peace to a man who knew how to act and live.

Kenny, that was a nice tribute. Bobby sounds like a great friend and mentor. Condolences.

Thanks to you, Tom, and dkay as well.

I love that picture of him, and I figure my step-family won't get pissed if I put it here.

He and my mom took care of horses. Training horses, riding horses, and every few years they'd head out West, Utah, Wyoming, to horse training clinics and whathaveyou. Always driving, never flying. They were road trippers. Man, they took some stellar photographs of the scenery out there, really incredible vistas. That picture is circa 2010.

Here's to a well-lived life. If you are well-remembered by those that matter, then you did something important. That's the kind of immortality you can't beat.

Dunn wrote:Here's to a well-lived life. If you are well-remembered by those that matter, then you did something important. That's the kind of immortality you can't beat.

x2. You only get one shot and it looks like he did well, especially for a stepdad. PBUH.

Sorry for your loss but glad you have so many great memories. Fuck cancer.

RIP, Bobby.

My condolences, Ken. Sounds like you lost a good man in your life.

Condolences, Kenny. He was a good man, good men nurture good men.

Damn, that brought a tear. My condolences to you and yours, Kenny. He sounds like a really good man and I'm happy that you had him in your life. To Valhalla he shall go.

About as good as it gets, shipmate. I had a step-gradfather like that. Miss him still.

Kenny X wrote:
She looked after him dutifully and yesterday morning, comfortable in his own bed, while listening to Wagner, he took a deep breath and passed away, on his terms, the way he wanted it. In a moment of lucidity the night before, he said to my mom- "It's too bad we closed the pool..." She asked "Why?" And he answered, "Because you could've given me a Viking funeral."

Never lost his wry sense of humor.

PBUH.

i have a pool , you can use it. He earned it.

Everybody wants to be IGx, but nobody wants to do IGx shit. But he got his eulogy here because it sounds he did a lot of IGx shit.

Well done.

Sorry to hear this. It's awesome you have great memories about him.

Thanks so much, guys, for all the kind words, and for the thoughtful sentiments as well.

DrDonkeyLove wrote:

Dunn wrote:Here's to a well-lived life. If you are well-remembered by those that matter, then you did something important. That's the kind of immortality you can't beat.

x2. You only get one shot and it looks like he did well, especially for a stepdad. PBUH.

^^THIS.

Something I've been thinking about a lot lately is how so inordinately complex a thing I thought life was, until recently.

I guess it is. It can be. But when you boil it all down, *living*, really *living* can actually be quite simple. Live well. Raise a family, and give everything you can to them, do whatever you can to make them smile. Be a champion of fun. Never lose your lust for life. And try not to get discouraged, ever. It's a good thing to aspire to.

powerlifter54 wrote:

Kenny X wrote:
She looked after him dutifully and yesterday morning, comfortable in his own bed, while listening to Wagner, he took a deep breath and passed away, on his terms, the way he wanted it. In a moment of lucidity the night before, he said to my mom- "It's too bad we closed the pool..." She asked "Why?" And he answered, "Because you could've given me a Viking funeral."

Never lost his wry sense of humor.

PBUH.

i have a pool , you can use it. He earned it.

Everybody wants to be IGx, but nobody wants to do IGx shit. But he got his eulogy here because it sounds he did a lot of IGx shit.

Well done.

Hahaaaa yes, yes he certainly did. And I firmly believe that he'd be delighted that he has a small eulogy here.

Nice tribute, Kenny.

Not every kid appreciates what he's got when he's got it. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and bet he felt he scored a pretty good step son too.

Kudos to you both.

May he rest in peace.