"Catastrophe, Rocky Russo" Topic

Sad news indeed, RIP.

Don't know what to write. Very sad to hear.

RIP Rocky. Set up a game for us, we'll be there soonish.

Don.

fwiw, my thoughts/images are of Waldo Pepper at the end of the movie.

You're not gone, Rocky.

The obit was posted today:

garnerfuneral.com

I haven't posted here in a great long time, but I thought I would give some more information. I had been out of touch for several months and had several things saved up I planned to talk to Rocky about "when he got better". I put it off too long, and found out via an email from Doug New Year's Day.

We went to the viewing last night. Doug was there of course, as well and several of us from the Salt Lake M&M group – Chuck, who used to file regular reports in the 'Biplanes' section, Peter Vernon and his son Iso, myself and a couple of others. Also several folks who knew Rocky from his other activities – Slot Car racing, Rubber-Powered flying models – and other friends. I got to meet and have a good chat with his girlfriend Gail.

So Rocky wrote rules for 3-D Airwar games, tabletop miniatures games, a Grand Prix boardgame, was an avid gun collector and shooter, raced slot cars and served as editor for a slot-car magazine (and was famous as a body and engine builder under the name "Professor Fate"), built and flew rubber-powered airplanes, rode motorcycles in his younger days and was an avid student of archeology, anthropology and history. He loved to find out actual weapons performance by building and testing them based on historical drawings. Oh, he also fenced in college. He tried to teach me once, but this pig just couldn't learn how to fly.

We (all of us, together and individually) had a great many entertaining discussions on just about everything under the sun, and that's what I'll miss the most.

Those of us who knew him personally consider ourselves far better for it.

link

I published a short tribute biography about Rocky Russo's friendship with me. It is free….

Very nicely done. Skip

Dear Doug,

I just dropped by after a month, to check up on Rocky. I am so sorry to hear of his passing. My condolences to all of Rocky's family. My condolences also to you, Doug. Your friendship with Rocky is something that I am sure he treasured.

As you may know, I butted heads with Rocky quite often over the years. Always trying to stay on topic, but trying to skirt around ending up in the Dawghouse, sometimes unsuccessfully. But, I always enjoyed our conversations, and I can only hope the feeling was mutual. As is my nature, I said a few things to Rocky that I shouldn't have, and now I won't be able to take them back. Sorry buddy.

@Bowman:

Those "science" conversations were a lot of fun.

Often, after going the rounds on TMP with you and Rocky, he and I would continue the conversation at his house. He was never remotely convinced that I was onto anything deep and profound either! And he was sometimes unwilling to stay quiet and let me live with my vast ignorance: the scientist in him had to point out the fallacious assertions I was making into general "truths", etc.

I don't think that Rocky would feel that you have anything to apologize for….

Thanks, Doug. Those Science discussions won't be the same though.

@ Daffy Doug,

Like several others on here, I cannot recall a single thread (usually on the 18thy Century boards) in which RR and I agreed – although I am glad to say that it never descended to personal abuse. However, it was impossible to deny that the man was well read, and his arguments (whatever one thought of them) were considered and well phrased.

What I cannot get over is the sheer, obscene randomness of basically dying from something as apparently insignificant as a cat scratch. Cancer, car crashes, muggings – these life-shorteners are easy to comprehend, however undeserved they may be: " happens" and "everyone has to go sometime", we say to ourselves and perhaps feel grateful it wasn't us. But this is such a stupid way for anyone to meet their end. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy – and he was a long, long way off that, however muchwe may have disagreed with each other on here.

RIP, RR. You deserved better, old chap.

@Max: I know what you mean. I have not accepted the irony and tragedy of his passing. I won't ever get to that stage in my thinking/feeling: simply because for the last c. twenty years I have had "death on the line" in my pathematic outlook on this world. Everything dies. Everything is doomed. Yet we spend time here and must try and be happy while "at it." Rocky had enormous tragedies/catastrophes strike him down large notches at a time. This last catastrophe was the smallest yet took him out. The manner of his being removed IS obscene. That's a good word for it. Such things ought not to happen, yet this world is chock-full of such randomness and "surprises". And I am offended. Dealing with my offended feelings is a full-time job that I am so accustomed to by now that it is second nature. But I will always be angry that Rocky let this happen. How STUPID can a smart man be? I have the perfect anecdote to illustrate the answer to that question, ready to hand, should the occasion to tell such stories ever arise….