RIP, skip.

only the good die young....

<----will never be able to hear "that song" again without thinking about a wonderful man, both his Pixies personna and otherwise.


~saving one last streak for the future~

I've had all day to think about this shocking news and I can't say that I feel any different than I did when I first read it this morning. Like (((Lilith))), (((jenna))), (((IWM))), and every one of you, I keep thinking this can't be true...it is just so untimely. Not that any death is timely...but skip was so young and had so much to live for, even if he wasn't totally convinced of that lately.

As Aqua said, it can never be said that you can't love a friend that you've only met online and not in person. I did love skip and I told him so many times. He'd "lol" or "shrug" at me, and I'd relate to him what my mother always instilled in me..."When you love a friend or a family member or your soulmate...tell them often, as you may not have the chance someday". Sure, we had our not so good times...but I was never one to hold a grudge and neither was he and we had just recently renewed our friendship...and for that, I am so happy! That I won't be able to convey to him just how happy I was about our renewal makes me that much sadder. I hate that mourning can seem like such a greedy time in my life. I think skip would understand though...and so I'll forgive myself on his behalf.

I'll miss you my friend! They say to every season there is a time and a purpose. I don't understand the timing, nor do I understand the purpose of your sudden death, but I hope with time it will become apparent and help ease the loss. My utmost sympathies go out to your immediate family...and especially to your precious children! I'll light a candle of love for you and them!

Who knows...maybe we'll bump into one another again in some other time and place and I can get a R/L hug! ((((((((((skip)))))))))))...I'll remember your laughter and the smiles you gave to me and everyone here! Make em smile wherever you may go!

:love:

I was very shocked last nite to learn of Skip's passing. I did'nt get to know him yet since he had gotten back.

Rest In Peace Skip

I am shocked and saddened by this. I was not close to skip but shared his company at times in chat and read his posts.

My love and deep sympathy to his family and friends

I would like to pay my respects to Skip's family and close friends. He will be missed.

All I can say is I am truly and deeply saddened by the loss of such a loved member of our community.

It has been a long time since I posted but feel the need right now, I have only just heard about the sad news and have been reading posts from people who knew him well, he has touched so many hearts here.

I didn't know him very well, but this hasn't stopped me being totally gutted. My thoughts are with all who loved him.

Farewell Skip and hope you are with your God

I can't say I knew skip. But it is quite shocking to lose a Pixie this way :(

(((((everyone)))))

"....it's just a ride..."

--William Melvin Hicks, 1961-1994.

I can't say that Skip and I were close but I am just blown away. I take for granted that you all will be here tomorrow and this news is truly sobering. Skip is missed!

For Skip... My friend...

(((((Skip)))))
 

I read this thread for the first time shortly after IWM had posted to it. Since then I've opened it and read it at least a dozen times. Leaving each time after sitting here looking at the 'reply' box and not finding the words I wanted.

Skip's threads could have you rolling on the floor laughing, sitting here shaking your head thinking 'OMG, only STO' or provoke some deep thought with his insightful post. There were many facets to the gem of a man we knew as Skipthisone. His shining presence will be missed here at Pixies but perhaps he is that twinkling star looking down at us tonight.

These words are still not right and do not express exactly what I want. So I'll close with deepest sympathy to Skip's family and his friends 'out there' and to all of you who loved him here at Pixies. I'd give you all a big hug if I could.

Rest in Peace Skipthisone. There's nobody who can fill your clown shoes so I hope you don't mind if we put 'em on top of the Pixie mantel. Bye Mr. :clown: man. :) We loved you.

My very deepest sympathies to all that knew and loved skip. If I could wipe one tear, offer one comforting hand, one shoulder to lean on ... I would do just that if I knew it would somehow bring you comfort in your pain and sadness.

((((all))))

I don't know what to say... other than you will be missed.
May God comfort you and show you love, peace and happiness! :(

Now that I've had time to reflect, & shake off the shock a little...
I can remember when STO first came on board, a regular clown & a bit of a troublemaker...he & Coach Knight in chat, stirring the shitpot...I never really got close with Skip, which is why I'm not as deep in grief as ohers who were close to him, but I still feel a deep sense of loss at one going so young...
But we should all remember that no one ever really leaves this family, that Skip will live on because he left a little piece of himself with every one of us, & he will be there as long as the rest of us remember him...
Go in peace, Skip...

Ah..... Skip.......

An interesting Pixie, and no mistake! Someone I never really got to know too well - not by design, just the way it worked out. We disagreed with each other a lot, but we agreed a lot too. He was a friend, and more importantly he was a true Pixie. Fun, carefree, intelligent and open. Warm, friendly, kind.

And bloody funny a lot of the time, too.

Skip, I'm happy that you've gone to a better place. But I'm sad that you've left a big gap in the lives of so many people. Your family, your friends, and the special online community called Pixies Place. You will be remembered dearly in the hearts of many many people.

You really were a bastard of a member, in the nicest possible way. :)

Peace,
CasperTG

I am truly sorry for STO, his family and his friends. I know he was never fully at peace with himself and his life since he first came to Pixies. I hope he found that.

STO and I first came on board at about the same time. He and I struggled several times with leaving the site. Interestingly, looking at the funny/sexy sayings everyone has underneath their posts, seem so trivial now. He was a good person and I hope he knew that.

I like many here am surprised. I didn't talk with him much but when we did it was always a lot of fun. I will miss seeing him on the boards.

Skipthisone
 

I am sorry to hear of Skip's passing.He was one of the first who greeted me by private mail when I became a new member.

Before I came to Pixies, I would not have believed that I would be sitting here reading about a man I only knew on line with tears running down my cheeks - the fact that I am not so surprised is in no small way due to Skip.

I am reminded of what my Queen said at the 9/11 memorial

"Grief is the price we pay for Love."

Beyond a true depth of humour and humanity, Skip had a rare gift of having great qualities without their ever causing resentment in those of us clearly less well endowed. And if you are reading this Skip, I don't mean endowed in the trouser department!!

Au revoir Bud.

"Do not fear death so much, but the inadequate life."

namaste, Skip.

that sucks really bad what a great pixian

I had not ever intended to log into Pixie's again after Skip's passing and letting you all know of the tragedy. Unfortunately, I feel such a depth of guilt and pain that I need to share a little more before I go.

I was at the funeral home tonight with my 15-1/2 year old son. I tried to be a good strong mom, but I was a blubbering idiot. He was a mess also. He and "Skip" were very close and share many of the same interests. "Skip" took him to his first rock concert and I can only tell you one band of four that they heard that night (smile empty soul). Without him in my son's life for the last 8 months I would not have grown as close to my son as I have. He gave my son an insite into things in life that I am sure he would have not had with just me. He was a good man and a terrific father.

The very sad thing about this is that he joked about being a bastard of many sorts on this site. You should all know that he hid the fact that he truly thought that of himself. He thought that he was a bad person and no matter what anyone told him, I think he continued along a path of destruction until he could fight his demons no longer.

He was raised in the Lutheran Church and he had been attending the Church of Christ with me for the past 8 months and I truely believe he had made his peace with God and feel that no matter what, our God is merciful God and that he knows that "skip's" heart was good and no matter what happened in the end, his life was worthy of the heaven we each dream of in our own private way.

I loved "skip" deeply once and will morn his death for a long time to come. I'm somehow comforted to know that you all are morning with me, so I keep coming back to the people who know him better than his public knew him. There is no one else who could possibly understand this loss.

Thank you all for being his friends and being so kind in the end. I know he is watching and I hope also that he found peace in his last hours.

Hugs.

I know I don't post much, but I have been around for a while reading the posts and always enjoyed "Skips" posts . I know I will miss him greatly.

D :( :(

Lexi, thank you for letting us know that information. I never thought this would be so hard. I have cried every day all day for him. This morning I woke up and said outloud "you left me, now you have to take care of me!" and the day was great...until I heard a song that he mentioned..... I have learend from this tho...he showed me that you can love someone that easy, so I will try to show it to more people that come across my path. I am very heart broken, as many of you are.

All I keep thinking is he's looking down on us. In his last email to me before I went out of town he wrote "go have fun, don't think of me, we'll continue when you return, long kiss good bye". I came back to him being gone and now can't stop thinking about him.

Such a genuine person to me....very thoughtful and caring. I loved every minute of it.

I wish all of you to be able to find peace and keep the good thoughts fresh in your mind.

Skippy, I miss you so much and wish you were here now to catch my tears.

"I never dreamed I would love somebody like you, I never dreamed I would loose somebody like you....what a wicked game to play, to make me feel this way, what a wicked thing to do to let me dream of you"

Like so many others, I am stunned. I just stumbled across this thread and have been sitting here with tears streaming down my face. I did not know Skip as well as many of you but he was part of my Pixie family and he always made me feel good. Skip had so many different sides to him, some seen by all and others only seen by a few but they made him the man he was and a wonderful man at that.

I know right now he's seeing us all and asking himself what all the fuss is about but at the same time he's smiling and feeling our love *hugs to all*

It has not been from disrespect that I have been measured in posting to my friend Skip. Except for the razor exchanges of wit, comment and knowing observation on the board, Skip and I had but a few incisive personal messages in the substantial time we shared our daily appointment. We knew each other with a respecting smirk and knowing glance from the corners of our eyes.

During our cyber assembly remembering our oh-so-real family member, much intimate knowledge was exchanged among the people he felt so close to him. Our selfish sorrow was for OUR loss and the accolades were for the gifts of delight he gave US. I prefer to be grateful for the lifetime of pleasure he brought to me, even through his commune with others.

I am personally too limited to consider myself capable of knowing what is beyond my present existence and the dimension I am in. I do respect and envy others comfort and ability to place themselves beyond my scope. I would like to share, not a source but a concept, of a consideration passed to me by its’ author. Whatever your understanding of something beyond yourself may be, I hope you too are able to find deliberation in the idea.



THERE IS A BIBLE TRUTH IN WHICH MANY PEOPLE FIND COMFORT AND PEACE IN THE TIMES OF BEREAVEMENT AND SORROW. THIS TRUTH IS, THAT “GOD IS TOO WISE TO MAKE MISTAKES AND TOO GOOD TO BE UNKIND”. THOUGH THIS TRUTH MAY NOT BE EXPLICITLY REVEALED IN ONE SPECIFIC VERSE OF SCRIPTURE, IT IS WOVEN THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE BIBLE.


WE MAY NOT ALWAYS UNDERSTAND GOD’S TIMING WHEN A LOVED ONE IS TAKEN FROM US. WE MAY EVEN QUESTION THE WISDOM OF IT. HOWEVER, BECAUSE “GOD IS TOO WISE TO MAKE MISTAKES AND TOO GOOD TO BE UNKIND”, WE HAVE THE ASSURANCE THAT HIS TIMING IS ALWAYS PERFECT.


MEDITATE ON THIS TRUTH AND ALLOW GOD TO GRACIOUSLY FILL THE VOID IN YOUR LIFE WITH HIS LOVE; RELIEVE THE ANGUISH OF YOUR HEART WITH HIS COMFORT; DISPEL YOUR SORROW WITH HIS PEACE.


MAY GOD BLESS YOU!


WILLARD (BILL) HAMMOND
LORAIN, OHIO

I am shocked, saddened, sympathetic, and trying to hold back tears for a man I did not know as well as I would have liked. I sit here thinking about how little we realize the extent that we touch one anothers lives. The impact we all can have without even realizing it, or being appreciated for it until it is too late. I will not mourn, I know that many need this process and for you I send all my best wishes and vibes that you will find the strength and courage to get through this tough time. Instead I will revel in what was, smile at memories that are shared, and learn. See ya on the other side! :)

sorry for your loss lexi

In the words of Bilbo Baggins...


For me, Skip falls into that second catagory. It is with regret I admit that, as he definately deserved more. That so many people have expressed grief and sorrow at his passing is enough to show anyone that he was one of those very special people, the sort that make life worth living.

Many of you have spoken of the positive influence in your life, and in the lives of others. So long as that remains, and his memory remains with us, he is still with us. As long as the seeds he planted continue to grow and flourish, he is still with us, and his life continues through us, and hopefully we can pass those seeds on to others. Then, maybe, the whole world will be filled with his legacy.

Finally, take this event to realise that nobody can tell the future. Life is often too short to hold grudges, to be selfish, to let friendships go unreaslised. When someone upsets you, don't sit and sulk, give that person a hug and forgive them. When you stop caring about the happiness of others, look in the mirror and realise a selfish person is a lonely one. When you meet someone new, don't just say hi and walk on by, take time to get to know that person because you might be missing out, and tommorow you may not have chance.

For Takira and I, and all those pixies who can't post or have left us, goodbye Skip. May your memory live with us and inspire us to be the sort of person people will miss as much when we are gone.

There have not been many times in my life when I have been genuinely lost for words however............

~stunned silence~

I haven't been around. I just now found out. I feel like I've been kicked.

And somewhere in the back of my mind I know that what I feel is grief for missed opportunities. There's a hole in the world, a man I didn't know well and wish that I knew better. And now I won't.

Add to that, there are people here who did know him well...and whose grief is a whole hell of a lot more immediate. And I want so much to reach out and help them in thier pain, but I'm more of a doer in crises than a talker...and there's no damned place to send the casserole. But it hit me as I read through the thread....if this blasted screen, this virtual haze, doesn't stop the love and support, doesn't filter out the hurt....then maybe words are more than I've given them credit for. Maybe just saying that I wish I could help, in some way, does. The reality of the connections made in a place like this may not be something we can easily explain, but they are real and should be cherished. Maybe that's the last lesson Skip left us? For me at least.

My heart goes out to his friends and family. May you remember the laughter long after the tears stop coming. And then, in the end, know that you are more blessed for having known him.

G

wow.....speechless and saddened - RIP my friend. We'll miss you.

I am so sorry to hear about Skipthisone's passing. Although I'm not a frequent poster here I am a frequent lurker and I always enjoyed reading STO's entries. I'm saddened for everyone's loss especially for those near and dear to him. May he rest in peace.

Lexi,

Like IWM, I also thank you for sharing with us. God bless you. I always liked the words of my parent's minister at my father's funeral ... "Death is like a comma in the sentence of life."

I personally take comfort thinking that in only a cosmic blink of the eye, we might all be reunited with friends and loved ones. I hope you find that thought comforting as well. No doubt Skip is looking down and smiling knowing full well that he was truly loved.

I am surprised and saddened to hear of Skip's passing. I did not know him very well, but he seemed to be such a kind and happy soul. My heartfelt condolences to his friends and family.

It's been a week now.....I don't feel any better and I am really trying. I miss him more than I thought I ever could miss anyone. The wonderful things he said to me run thru my head constantly. I see him everywhere--fortunately we only shared fun times.....

I am trying so hard tho to give others what he gave me.......

I hope all of you are doing okay and I am right here if any of you ever want to talk.


"I never dreamed I would love somebody like you, I never dreamed I would loose somebody like you....what a wicked game to play, to make me feel this way, what a wicked thing to do to let me dream of you"

IMW, the more you loved somebody, the longer it takes to get thru the grieving process...but it's ok, time will heal...

Wow...that sucks.