Fellow Fantaversians,
I am just heartbroken. Patrick, a.k.a. Shrykespeare, who I called, variously, "Shrykey", "Shrykester", and "Shrykey-pooh" -- that last, probably no more than once, at least, publicly, but he never let me forget it
-- was my great good friend, my handpicked successor, and, for all sorts of reasons, one of my inspirations... A true, wonderful, empathetic, generous, and let us not forget hilarious, prince among men, who never met an enemy, and earned every one of his many friends. He was also a terrific writer, a prolific author, and an unexceeded lover and appreciator of music, films, and people.
I knew him, what? Seventeen, eighteen years? And not one day of those passed without -- should I have had the good fortune to interact with him, that day -- him making my world a bit brighter, more interesting, and funnier. He gave without counting the cost, shared without reserve, engaged without judgement. He was grateful for his life -- increasingly, as the years passed, and the burdens upon him grew greater and more difficult -- and his friends, and the things of this world that gave him pleasure, that stirred his soul, that fired his imagination, that instilled knowledge in him, that tickled his fancy. He was one of the most unselfish, decent, and genuine people that I have ever known. I was a better man for having the honor to know him.
And he LOVED this strange, specific, sustaining little community, and everything about it, and all of you. All of us.
I have no talent for brevity, and, in time, I want to say more, and will. But for now I wish to close with this: As he was my friend, so are all of you, no matter whether we have agreed in the past, what stones I may have placed in your shoe, what careless or idiot words I may have given voice to. The last decade has been hard on relationships, and too much has been lost. Most of all, time. I am sorry for any distance between us, and vow it will not persist.
I can think of no greater way to honor our fallen friend, than that we all, so much as is possible, reunite in his honor, and reforge old bonds in his name. I spoke with his widow, Vaneza, and his mother last night, and they are planning on holding a memorial for him, a celebration of his life -- and there is so, SO much to celebrate, my friends -- around his birthday, in mid-August. I plan to be there (in Arizona). Additionally, I know Nic (Spannaus) is considering hosting a Zoom or similar virtual / online get-together nearer in the future, so we can all share our happy memories and thoughts and maybe even some of the robustly unique silliness of ol' Shrykey. I will not be available next weekend -- my daughter, our oldest, is graduating from college next Saturday -- but I hope I can participate.
All of you are in my thoughts and in my prayers today, and will be, going forward. I can no longer embrace Patrick, but I can you, and I hope I have the chance to. And maybe to lift a pint in his name. (Yes, Pip, it comes in pints!
)
Okay, that's enough for now. If you'd like to reach out to me, I am at
www.facebook.com/RickCromack
RichardFCromackJr@gmail.com
(972) 746-8575
(If you contact me via mobile phone, please text me first.)
I am now writing some of my memories of Patrick, and will post whatever I come up with, here and elsewhere, in a few days.
Until then, I remain, as always, your friend...
Rico / Nico.