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RIP Sir Belisarius

Discussion in 'Sorcerous Sundries' started by Taluntain, Jul 24, 2012.

  1. Taluntain

    Taluntain Resident Alpha and Omega Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

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    I've only just found out from chev that Brian Ware, aka Sir Belisarius, one of the earliest members and also our treasurer, has lost his battle with cancer on July 16, 2012. I'm devastated that I've only found out about this now since I'm not a regular Facebook user. We've been in touch a few weeks prior to this and I've been concerned when he hasn't responded to my last two e-mails, but I hoped for the best... only to find out the worst. :(

    The funeral service was held earlier today so I'm sad to say that we've missed it - but Bel's legacy continues at http://cancerbware.org/, which I urge you to visit. Cancerbware.org was Brian's idea to fund research for the treatment and eradication of KRAS Mutation Colon Cancer, the disease that ended his life so prematurely.

    Managed by a group of Brian's friends, cancerbware is in the process of setting up the non-profit organization, fundraising events & activities, and determining the best organizations to donate the funds to - so my plan is to make a donation as soon as they have the system for it in place. I think Bel would have liked that better than flowers.

    Bel has been a huge help to me with SP over the years - he's opened the SP PayPal account originally many years back and handled it to the last that he was able to, as well as most of the site-related payments that we've had to do in the US. Simply put, he was a one of a kind friend that I trusted implicitly and I will miss & remember him for as long as I live.

    I'm reposting the obituary here:

    Full link here: http://www.mccreryandharra.com/online_obituaries.php?did=1644

    You can light a candle or send condolences to the family there. I'll be keeping this thread updated with developments regarding the donations.

    -------

    Update:

    1. You can now contribute a sum of your own choosing for Sorcerer's Place to forward to the Cancerbware.org NPO set up in Brian's (Sir Bel's) name.

    2. Donations collected to the SP PayPal account will be forwarded to Cancerbware.org once they are established.

    3. Unless you would prefer your donation to be anonymous, please list your BoM user name in the donation notes so that we know who to thank!

    4. Donate via PayPal here. Having a PayPal account is NOT required to donate - you can use your credit/debit card.

    If you would like to send money some other way, please contact me via a private message.

    If anyone has any questions, please post them in this thread.

    Thank you!
     
    Last edited: Dec 23, 2017
  2. Blackthorne TA

    Blackthorne TA Master in his Own Mind Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    Such a tragedy. Far too young; and parents should never outlive their kids. It's hard to believe... I'll always remember him as the guy behind the halfling thief on the ALFA NWN servers who'd laugh at my Ranger always getting shot full of arrows... he called me pincushion :)
     
  3. Taluntain

    Taluntain Resident Alpha and Omega Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

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    It's such a shame that Bel never got to the point where he had enough time for playing games again. I've been hoping and praying that he'd recover, but I guess it was just too much. When we chatted last he told me his only regret was not having kids - but considering that he'd be leaving them behind, it wasn't such a bad thing after all. Sad but true.

    My biggest regret is never having met him in real life and having a few beers with him. It's hard to believe, but we've known each other online for 12 years - it's crazy how time flies.
     
    Last edited: Jul 24, 2012
  4. Marceror

    Marceror Chaos Shall Be Sown In Their Footsteps Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

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    Sad. I can't say that I ever dialogued with him on BoM, but it's very horrible to hear of his passing. I've seen cancer in its final stages, and I know that Sir Bel is resting far more peacefully now than he was before.
     
  5. Darion

    Darion Resident Dissident Veteran BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

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    I been here long enough to have known him as poster and highly respected member of SP.
    Never shared any words with him however.

    But it is sad, to say farewell forever, to yet another veteran of this board.

    May he rest in peace.
     
  6. Dice

    Dice ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran

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    I'm sad to hear of his passing. I remember him from the earlier years here. I didn't talk to him much, but he seemed to be a pretty nice guy. Cancer does not discriminate, but hopefully each case teaches us a little more so we can find a cure eventually.
     
  7. olimikrig

    olimikrig Cavalier of War Distinguished Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

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    RIP Sir Bel, you will be missed.
     
  8. Barmy Army

    Barmy Army Simple mind, simple pleasures... Adored Veteran

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    Cancer, such an evil disease :(.

    RIP Sir Bel.
     
  9. Master of Nuhn

    Master of Nuhn Wear it like a crown Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    "The General" lost his battle. This makes me real sad. :(

    Apparently, he's been to Amsterdam (Brian's Life in Photo's on his facebook is real nice!). Would have loved to meet him there and have a beer. He really seemed a great guy!

    There are some board members who (after quite some years) still make me feel like some sort of newb around here, in a good way. Sir Bel was one of them. Maybe it's because he was one of SP's pillars when I first arrived here, but I guess I just respected him.
     
  10. The Great Snook Gems: 31/31
    Latest gem: Rogue Stone


    Adored Veteran

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    Rest in peace Sir Bel
     
  11. Rawgrim Gems: 21/31
    Latest gem: Pearl


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    I didn`t know him, but I recognize the nick very well. I am sorry to hear of his passing. I have seen cancer up close, and its a horrible thing for anyone to go through. R.i.P.
     
  12. chevalier

    chevalier Knight of Everfull Chalice ★ SPS Account Holder Veteran

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    One thing that must be said is that Sir Bel was always positive, optimistic. It was contagious. At the same time a trickster of sorts, something of a rogue/paladin or the other way round. He had the kind of presence to just be reassuring to everybody who even remotely came into contact with him. I also recall something to the effect that he never made typos in his posts, something that another regular member pointed out but I don't remember who. This is perhaps a small external mark of what a diligent, hard-working person shows from his biography. There is a quotation from him running among his family and friends: "There's still a lot of good in the world. Find it!", which he said a couple of days before his last day. I was not in regular touch with him, we chatted some time, he accepted my friend/connect requests, so I don't want to appear like I'm pretending to be a friend here, but I'm just one of the persons touched by his life and missing him. Hoping for a LAN party in heaven.

    For the record, one of his ancestors was a knight at Agincourt or so, as mentioned in an early post somewhere. Figured it was fitting to mention.
     
    Master of Nuhn likes this.
  13. Taluntain

    Taluntain Resident Alpha and Omega Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

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    You should have seen his handwriting - it was of the kind you see on old documents written by professional scribes, very elegant. I was always embarrassed to send him anything in my own writing because it looked like a child's attempt compared to his.
     
  14. Blades of Vanatar

    Blades of Vanatar Vanatar will rise again Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    Every once in a while I will come across some of Sir Bel's posts when searching on SP. They are refreshing to read and always make me chuckle.
     
  15. Beren

    Beren Lovesick and Lonely Wanderer Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    He always had that odd quirky kind of sense of humor. He will be missed, both here and elsewhere.
     
  16. Gaear

    Gaear ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful

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    I didn't know him well either but I did think of him as a really good guy - never saw him write a cross word. I didn't even know he had cancer though.

    Rest in peace.
     
  17. Silvery

    Silvery I won't pretend to be your friend coz I'm just not ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran

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    It's funny how most of us have never met but we can all still be affected by this sort of thing.
    He was a cracking bloke
     
  18. dmc

    dmc Speak softly and carry a big briefcase Staff Member Distinguished Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!)

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    He was a really great guy. Very interesting as well. He didn't post much recently, but he still will be missed, I think, by many of us.
     
  19. Montresor

    Montresor Mostly Harmless Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder

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    [​IMG] I'm really devastated to learn he's gone. I always enjoyed reading his (all too rare!) posts.
     
  20. Taluntain

    Taluntain Resident Alpha and Omega Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

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    [​IMG] I've been looping this one for a while now:



    I don't know why, but it just rings so right in memory of Brian.
     
    Last edited: Sep 19, 2015
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