Rest in Peace, Brass Napoleon

Your tribute is beautiful Bart.

Thank you Mike. Your post is very moving.

For some reason I cannot read these posts on the tribute wall. I do not even see my own post there anymore or @John Winn 's. Well, I hope the family can still see them so that they see how much Ron meant to all of us!

Edit: I take back my above post - it's okay - it could not be displayed on my phone but I can see it on my tablet. All our posts are still there. It's all in good order.
 
I'm sure that Ron will be greatly missed by his friends and family--condolences to them. It was always a joy to see one of his posts and know that it would be well-grounded and would offer some definite background on the topic. He often brought the abolitionists to life, not as portraits in a museum, but as people who'd lived and breathed their philosophical and religious beliefs. He will be missed.
 
This is heart breaking. Ron was a great asset to this site and I personally came to cherish him upon meeting him in Gettysburg last September. My sincerist condolences to Ron's family :frown:
.

I also met this man last year at Gettysburg to Remember! A fine gentleman. My respects to his family, may he Rest In Peace.
 
Brass Napoleon was a heavyweight on this website. The debate he and I participated in, where we sparred on the topic of Gettysburg vs. Vicksburg, on this forum was true a pleasure. He will be missed.
I wonder if that thread is a permanent, "sticky" thread. It ought to be. One of the greatest, most informative, downright magisterial things I have ever seen here. You and Brass did an awesome job with that.
 
Thank you so much to all of you for the kind words and personal remembrances of Ron. Here is a link to his obituary and memorial wall. http://www.laubenthalmercado.com/obituaries/Ronald-Briggs-Gorman?obId=1980092#/obituaryInfo
Thank you so much for posting that link. Reading about Ron from his family, neighbors, co-workers and friends... seeing wonderful photos of his kayaking, geocaching and clowning around... learning of all his service to others, from helping friends get jobs to improving hiking trails to all his wonderful work for the Oberlin Heritage Center... hearing about his bicycling and guitar playing and making fabulous margaritas.... It's so wonderful to get a glimpse of all these other dimensions to Ron that most of us here didn't even know about.

It was already more than enough that he was a giant here at CWT, consistently intelligent and gracious, passionate but fair. I was always grateful when he helped me out, providing solid, copious information that he seemed always to have at his fingertips.

But there was so much more to him than what we saw here, great as that was -- and great as it will remain, since he has left here a huge body of work that will continue to be a resource for seekers on these ever-important topics.

It's obvious that Ron was that most wonderful of creatures: a human being fully alive. He appears to have lived more life in his brief 56 years than many do in 86. He enjoyed life to the fullest, and spread that joy to others. He left the world a better place.

Thank you, Ron, for the inspiration.
 
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Thank you so much for posting that link. Reading about Ron from his family, neighbors, co-workers and friends... seeing wonderful photos of his kayaking, geocaching and clowning around... learning of all his service to others, from helping friends get jobs to improving hiking trails to all his wonderful work for the Oberlin Heritage Center... hearing about his bicycling and guitar playing and making fabulous margaritas.... It's so wonderful to get a glimpse of all these other dimensions to Ron that most of us here didn't even know about.

It was already more than enough that he was a giant here at CWT, consistently intelligent and gracious, passionate but fair. I was always grateful when he helped me out, providing solid, copious information that he seemed always to have at his fingertips.

But there was so much more to him than what we saw here, great as that was -- and great as it will remain, since he has left here a huge body of work that will continue to be a resource for seekers on these ever-important topics.

It's obvious that Ron was that most wonderful of creatures: a human being fully alive. He appears to have lived more life in his brief 56 years than many do in 86. He enjoyed life to the fullest, and spread that joy to others. He left the world a better place.

Thank you, Ron, for the inspiration.
So well said!

Thank you for putting into the right words what I and others have been thinking and sharing these past few days.
 
Thank you so much for posting that link. Reading about Ron from his family, neighbors, co-workers and friends... seeing wonderful photos of his kayaking, geocaching and clowning around... learning of all his service to others, from helping friends get jobs to improving hiking trails to all his wonderful work for the Oberlin Heritage Center... hearing about his bicycling and guitar playing and making fabulous margaritas.... It's so wonderful to get a glimpse of all these other dimensions to Ron that most of us here didn't even know about.

It was already more than enough that he was a giant here at CWT, consistently intelligent and gracious, passionate but fair. I was always grateful when he helped me out, providing solid, copious information that he seemed always to have at his fingertips.

But there was so much more to him than what we saw here, great as that was -- and great as it will remain, since he has left here a huge body of work that will continue to be a resource for seekers on these ever-important topics.

It's obvious that Ron was that most wonderful of creatures: a human being fully alive. He appears to have lived more life in his brief 56 years than many do in 86. He enjoyed life to the fullest, and spread that joy to others. He left the world a better place.

Thank you, Ron, for the inspiration.
Freestater, believe me, Ron was so very modest, that his closest friends (of which there are so many because he made everyone in his life feel special) did not know all, or in most cases, even some, of his many extraordinary accomplishments.
 
I'm sure that Ron will be greatly missed by his friends and family--condolences to them. It was always a joy to see one of his posts and know that it would be well-grounded and would offer some definite background on the topic. He often brought the abolitionists to life, not as portraits in a museum, but as people who'd lived and breathed their philosophical and religious beliefs. He will be missed.
18thVirginia, you are so right about that. Ron performed extensive research into the lives and backgrounds of abolitionists, in order to truly understand and try to convey their personal beliefs and how they arrived there. Last October, for a program at the Oberlin Heritage Center, he portrayed a local staunch abolitionist and overall scoundrel, Chauncey Wack. Ron spent 6 months researching him, to get the performance "just right". Ron was delighted to play the role of villain, but he was also careful to humanize Wack, and tell his point of view accurately and fairly.
 
For some reason I cannot read these posts on the tribute wall. I do not even see my own post there anymore or @John Winn 's. Well, I hope the family can still see them so that they see how much Ron meant to all of us!

Edit: I take back my above post - it's okay - it could not be displayed on my phone but I can see it on my tablet. All our posts are still there. It's all in good order.
They are all there and still more being posted. And yes, his family and friends continue to monitor the "tribute wall" and we are all blown away by the kind words contained in every single post. Andrea, your personal remembrances were very emotional and thoughtful. Thank you so much.
 
I just saw this...and am truly saddened...I have had many enjoyable and informative discussions with 'Brass' over the years I have been on this forum.

He was a bedrock commentator and participant....someone who was very knowledgeable, friendly and civil.

The website /Forum has dimmed from his passing horse..boots turned backwards in the stirrups....rest and peace comrade...
 
18thVirginia, you are so right about that. Ron performed extensive research into the lives and backgrounds of abolitionists, in order to truly understand and try to convey their personal beliefs and how they arrived there. Last October, for a program at the Oberlin Heritage Center, he portrayed a local staunch abolitionist and overall scoundrel, Chauncey Wack. Ron spent 6 months researching him, to get the performance "just right". Ron was delighted to play the role of villain, but he was also careful to humanize Wack, and tell his point of view accurately and fairly.
I think you meant to say anti-abolitionist Chauncey Wack, right?
 
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