For bob and his family and his phamily

the proPHet, said...

For what is it to die
But to stand naked in the wind and melt into the sun...
~gibran~

We raze our cups and spill a little for Bob!!!

As a late comer to .net, I never had the pleasure of knowing Bob. But my heart still aches for his family, his friends, and the .net community. May his soul rejoice in the glory of God's presence.

I want to thank everyone for sharing their thoughts and memories about Bob. Please continue to do so!

Very soon (hopefully by Friday) we will be announcing a raffle and auction in order to raise money for Bob's Memorial Fund, which will help pay for the education of his two young boys. Please stay tuned to this space for full details and entry rules. It's going to be a fantastic list of prizes and auction items, so you won't want to miss it, and the money couldn't be going for a better cause!

In the meantime, rage.

So every night of the run, my friends and I drank at Roses in Penn station. The last two years we've come, there has been this old Chinese guy essentially giving away free Phish stickers for a dollar donation. My girlfriend always gives him five bucks and this year he gave us a ton of stickers we thought we'd already had. Needless to say we were just relaxing on the couch and it hit me...I knew I recognized one of the stickers...


I'm a sucker for signs and this one spoke loud and clear. It goes on my tour guitar now...

Thanks, @reckhart. Thank you for sharing your wonderful brother with the rest of us.

Bob was like the older brother I never had. He was one of the first to welcome me to the Phish community and .net in particular. I learned so much from him about music and life and struggle and love. I just don't have the power right now to recount the numerous "moments" we shared. But I will share one of my fondest memories:

When Phish scheduled their 2011 Summer Tour opener with a three-day run in Bethel, NY, plans were laid to make that the first official .net meet-up. Several of us had chatted and planned for months beforehand. It was more than exciting. The anticipation of finally meeting each other in person and sharing the musical experience that was such an integral part of each of our lives together was almost overwhelming. Indeed, it was. I have never felt what I felt at Bethel - both in the campground we shared and at the shows we raged together.

Bob couldn't make it but I called him every night as we were walking out of the show. He had been listening to the streams online and we excitedly discussed all the musical highlights. I described for him everything I saw and heard and felt. Every knowing nod or wink I got from one of our clan. Every musical peak that made us shiver. He was right there with us.

I can honestly say that I looked forward to talking to Bob after the show than I did the shows themselves.

My meager grasp of the English language is too weak to describe what Phish's music means to me, how it makes me feel. I didn't have to use words with Bob. Many of our phone conversations actually consisted of dead silence. Just satisfied sighs followed by the occasional "Wow". Bob was the first person I had ever met that I could communicate with and not have to worry that the other person wasn't getting it. Bob got it. He got me. And understanding each other on that level is rare but somehow fundamental to our human condition. We had the same understanding of something larger than ourselves. The same awe and wonder and curiosity about it.

I would say that we were good friends. We shared something indescribable. Something without a verbal definition. He was a true friend. But beyond that, he was a kindred soul. I am blessed to have crossed paths with him in this life.

I have cried everyday for the past two months except for yesterday and today. Somehow, I'm smiling. I prayed and prayed that God would make Bob's passage into heaven easy. I prayed for his comfort, free from pain and anxiety. I somehow know that that was the case.

To Danelle, Joseph, Noah, and the rest of Bob's family - I wish you the same comfort. Bob was loved by so many people. And if he hasn't already, he soon will be welcomed into heaven as someone who succeeded to touch so many in such a short time.

I am a better person for having had Bob as a friend.

Somehow completely missed this thread until now. Death truly don't have no mercy in this land. I never met Bob, but I have no doubt that I encountered trace echoes of the positivity that he brought to the scene. He was taken too soon from this earth, and from those close to him - especially his family. May his light shine forever brightly in their hearts.

Rest In Peace

I never knew Bob but I would like to donate some money to his cause. Could you possibly make PayPal a donation option?

Bob was a fraternity brother of my son and one of my daughter's closest friends. She came to the funeral from Florida and she was so glad she made the trip and got to spend some quality time with Bob's brother, Jeff. Blessings and prayers to Bob's wife and sons.

A little over two years ago when I was getting into SCI, Bob offered (as a complete stranger at this point) to send me some of his favorite shows. I traded with him for some more recent Phish shows as well as some of my older favorites. Over the following months, he continued to send me links to other shows that he came across. One morning, I got a package out of the blue from him that contained DVDs of the 2010 NYE run.

I never knew Bob personally and it is truly impossible for me to understand what his family has gone through and is still going through. There's a lot to be said about random acts of kindness and showing generosity toward strangers and I have no doubt that is a reflection of who he was as a person to those who knew and loved him.