I'm writing a post now. How did he die? I've not seen the details anywhere.

I'm kind of at a loss of what to say.

Seems to be a heart attack.
http://millarca.tumblr.com/post/1308910 ... now-by-now

I have Patience's address from long ago. I didn't want to offer it before asking her if it was OK, but I thought folks here might want to send a card to express their sympathies. I have checked with her and she says it is of course OK. She will probably be away from home for a few days, but someone will be stopping by to collect post.

I do not want to publicly post the address, so if anyone would like to address to send a card, just drop me a PM and I'll reply with the details.

I sent Patience a personal card from Craig and myself, but I have also send Owen's parents a card on behalf of the communities here and on ugvm and rllmuk... etc, just saying that in the same way that he had met the love of his life online, so did he make many friends who loved and will miss him, and to let his family know that he meant a great deal to very many people.

OK, if anyone wants the address to send Patience a card, just drop me a line. I will try and reply as soon as I am able, but may take me a few hours between postings x

Thanks for doing that Mimi.

I don't know what to say.

What terrible, terrible news; like others, I am at a complete loss as to what to say.

My sincere condolences to Rev Owen's family and friends.

Cavey

That is a lovely gesture Mimi, thank you.

great gesture mimi thanks..

I really don't know what to say. I wasn't online here last night, I'd just come back from seeing Back to the Future at the cinema and was feeling kind of alright with the world but rather sleepy. Then I get an email from Lord Rixondale this morning telling me the awful news. I didn't know the Rev Owen outside of his posts on here, but I always found him unshowily wise, thoughtful, trivia-filled and amusing. I find it desperately sad to think on those who knew him close, and his family, and Patience, and what they must be going through right now.

Probably the most horrible and unfair words in the world are: They died too young.

One of the strange new things about the internet is that it leaves ghosts of people who have passed away in the physical realm. He remains part of BETEO but he is gone. Its a strange and sad feeling. But the value of his words and creations remain constant. I'll be revisiting his posts and threads and hunting out new ones. But, like his Minecraft legacy, they also highlight the the sadness in the things he can no longer enjoy or achieve. That's what hit me hard about my uncle's death at 33, when I realised that he'd never be able to watch the John Woo film I lent him. Or any film ever again. It's those strange detailed realisations that kick you in the stomach.

My thoughts are with Patience and his family and friends. The donating thing is wonderful. RIP Rev Owen.

Same. I had just started a new game with him, he hadn't even had a chance to play his first move.


I think I will do the honourable thing and resign... it's only fair to hand him this victory. To see the resignation message pop up would just be too cruel.

One of my close school-friends died when we all about 21/22 years old from a brain tumour. Some of our group compiled a CD of his favourite tunes to play at the church, so just before the coffin was lead in, we were all sat in the pews listening to 'Insomnia' by Faithless. A couple of us sniggered at having that kind of music on in a church and then it hit me that if Chris had been with us, he'd have found it hilarious. That was upsetting. Even now, almost ten years later, I find his death upsetting. I very occasionally visit his grave and it's hard having to read the bit that says "Died aged 22".

It's a combination of knowing that you'll never see them again: in Chris's case it was knowing that I'd never again meet him down the pub or have a laugh at the latest stupid thing he'd been up to. In Owen's it's knowing I'll never read any more posts from him, be enthused by his iPhone game reviews (seriously, his opinions have been directly responsible for many of the games I've bought on my iPhone), read his latest Twitter updates or see his latest Minecraft creations.

And then there's the knowledge of all they'll never experience themselves. New games, films, books, comics, new technology, meetups and all the silly stuff we all take so seriously here and we'll get to see it and they won't. But for me it's also knowing that Owen and Patience evidently wanted children and now that will never happen.

But enough moping. Owen was one of my favourite posters both here, and on WoS and Rllmuk, because he came across as a genuinely wonderful person. The things he posted and his creations in Minecraft serve as a reminder of that wonderful person who had a positive effect on a whole load of people he'd never even met. So, if he was wrong and God/Allah/Flying Spaghetti Monster does exist, I'm sure he'd overlook the whole atheism thing and give him a prime spot in the Great Arcade in the Sky, where all the machines are constantly on Free Play.

Make sure you lot have a drink, watch Star Wars and many Rock Band games in his honour on Saturday and hopefully at some point we can do something formal in the guy's memory.

Well put, Zio.

Well put, everyone.

Brilliant post, thanks

I didn't realise he was a fellow minister in the ULC.

Heh, check him out butting in and just being lovely.

Haha, the three of us had an entire conversation about that in that London

I am the Reverend Wullie [Ooster], if that jogs your memory

I may have been a bit tired. I barely remember talking to you that night.

Yeah, it was a bit late when I turned up (around half-eight)

Just logging on to express my condolences.

I saw Patience's tweets yesterday afternoon, and hoped for the best.

After a night offline, I checked my twitter this morning, and was sad to learn my hopes were futile. I didn't know Owen as well as most of you, but I was upset today. I am more familiar with Patience, through twitter, so just thinking about what such a sweet, lovely woman is going through is heart-wrenching. I do know Owen was incredibly nice, and super-smart, with a friendly face. Always willing to help and share. I also know he and Patience were a fantastic couple. That's all I can say at the minute.

RIP

heard this afternoon via dilf on twitter. Can't believe it. I met Owen through a.d and deadjournal and we met three or four times in real life. He was a genuinely lovely chap and I only wish I'd made more of an effort to see him recently as he only lived 20 miles away.

RIP mang.

Lee

I haven't checked out my twitter feed for the last couple of days and so was reading back over them tonight only to find out what happened.

Again, I wasn't that close to Rev Owen but his words did brighten my day and like everyone else this news has made me very sad.

I've just heard the news. THIS FUCKING SUCKS. Though I never met the chap I had regular chats with him on twitter and he seemed a lovely person.

FUCKING SUCKS.

A few of us yesterday on UGVM purchased Mirrors Edge in his memory
http://inverty.com/2010/09/03/mirrors-edge-iphone/

...

I feel the same Lee .. since moving to Kent they were only *up the road* and I hadn't bumped into him at all

After losing my younger brother suddenly last year to a brain hemorage and now the lovely Owen both in their late 30's I am wondering what else I need to make time for .. life is too short ... way too short

P.A is SO luckly that so many people care and she will have lots of love and support - nothing will ever or could ever replace the legend, her soul mate and the all round throughaly nice chap that Owen was - but having the love and support helps cushion the blow

Shaz (dilf)

At the moment it looks as if there is going to be a private family ceremony and a larger public one which Beex'ers, forumites and other friends, etc are more than welcome to attend. There aren't specific details yet as a post mortem has to be carried out before arrangements can be made, but I will update folks when I hear more.

Patience has a few words for all those people thinking about her on her Tumblr page, here

Heartbreaking.

Thats just set me off again - its not the done thing to be sitting at work crying.

That's really very sad.

I'm already sure you will Mimi, but please let us know as soon as you can about the public memorial for him, so that I can make absolutely certain I can get the time off work to attend.

Also... Patience really shouldn't have to feel like a coward for wanting to go back to the States following this. Who possibly could blame her for wanting to go back to her family?

I will, Zio. I did post to this effect just above the post you quoted, so I'll update you when I hear more. I received an email from Patience this morning which made me feel a huge knot inside.

Choobs from ugvm has written a very well put tribute to The Rev on his blog.

http://www.nelefa.org/

What a beautiful tribute.

That is really lovely and and got me all teary again. It would be lovely if someone did a reading of sentiments like that at the service.
I keep finding myself logging on to the forum for no reason other than to compusively check this thread. I'm not sure why. Maybe because it feels less mad to be this affected by losing an internet friend when I see how others are affected as well. It's also so nice to hear other people leaving their thoughts about him and really lovely when people who knew him from other places come over to here to leave a few words.
I'm so lucky to be a part of this place and to be able to call you lot my friends. <3

That is lovely!

That is a lovely tribute.

Like other people have said, I'm surprised at how The Revs passing has affected me but the lines in the tribute about "online friends" is so very true. I may never meet any of my fellow forumers in real life, but that doesn't matter. I still think of you as friends.

This tribute thread has shown what good people we have here and what a good person The Rev was. We've all got stories of how he's chatted or played games with us and it's good that we'll always have those memories.

That last paragraph had me choked:(

Some more tributes

http://dogwoodtales.blogspot.com/2010/10/when-musics-over.html

http://lofi-gaming.org.uk/blog/2010/10/14/there-are-no-words-only-pictures/

http://gospvg.blogspot.com/2010/10/goodbye-to-friend.html

Thanks for pulling those together Gospvg

Owen died from a pulmonary embolism due to a deep vein thrombosis, leading to heart failure.

The service for the public will be at noon on the 28th October at St John’s Church, St John’s Road, Stansted CM24 8JP.

People wanting to attend, please drop me a PM with your email address and an email will be sent with organisation/logistics when things are further arranged.

M x

Can non members of this group send PMs, as there are quite a few members over on usenet group UGVM who will want to attend, I suspect.

Oh, sorry, of course you are right.

If anyone who wants to attend but hasn't got a PM facility (not being members of the board here) wants to drop me a line please feel free to send me an email to:

mushroom[dot]mimi[at]gmail[dot]com.

If anyone wants to then carry the information over to other forums please feel free to post the information from here as well as my email address as above and I will make sure to add them to a list of people to inform of any further information/organisation, etc.

Thanks for all the info Mimi

Sorry guys I totally missed this.

This is indeed tragically heart breaking.

My thoughts and love are with his family. God bless Owen, and sleep well mate.

http://tumblr.com/xkrlyfae2

Post from Patience

Jesus, teared up a bit reading that. Great hugs from me to Mimi for being go-between too, and for just being Mimi in general. And Orang-u-tans are a more than worthy cause. When I get back I'll be contributing brass to the orange furry wise-faces.

Thoughts as ever with Patience and family.

I was digging through some old photos and I found this from the 'I Saw A Cat At The Side Of The Road In Burnout!' night taken in Owen's old House Of Wonders. So I cried a little when I saw it, then I laughed because Owen had sneakily picked up my own camera to take this opportunistic stitch-up photo on it.

A suggestion inspired by this post on the BBC website from 2002

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/2173450.stm

(TheRev often joked that if you goggled his name all you ended up with were gay porn sites as at some point in the past his name had been hoovered up by one of them and used ever since - right now all you find are tributes to him)

The story was around what you would like played at your funeral he put down :



I have no idea how to find the track (although i suppose Spotify may be an option) but since I wont be at his funeral I intend to play the track at that time.

Haha, that'll be a fantastic way to pay tribute. As his wife suggested, funerals kind of aren't.

What a coincidence. Been thinking about the Orb a lot this evening as I heard an orchestral version of Little Fluffy Clouds. I'll be playing Blue Room for you RevOwen.