My friend has stepped on a rainbow...

[Fairportfan]

Most of you (quite possibly all of you), i'm sure, have never heard of Dennis Dolbear.

DKD was my friend for years; and for years before that had been a major part of New Orleans SF fandom.

He was also an attorney, and an expert on where to get the best food in NOLa.

I hadn't been in contact with him for some time, until we re-connected at last year's DeepSouthCon in Huntsville.

He looked terrible.

He said that he'd had a heart attack the year before, and that recovery was slow but sure. Then he added that his doctor had told him he wouldn't have to worry about how long it would take to recover from another one.

That was typical Dolbear humour.

At this year's DSC, a couple of months ago, he looked even worse.

A bit after that, i got word from a mutual friend that he'd checked himself into a hospital because he was feeling generally cruddy, and that he'd gotten worse and was on a ventilator.

I just read an e-mail from Guy H Lillian III, another long-time mutual friend, telling me that Dennis stepped on his rainbow sometime Monday afternoon.

I thought i said no more of my friends were allowed to die before i do, dammit.

[Mark N]

I feel for you. I have lost too many friends over the past few years myself. Time passing can suck, but the perks are still good.