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Author Topic: Erick Wujcik passed  (Read 67452 times)

finarvyn

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Erick Wujcik passed
« on: June 09, 2008, 12:32:46 AM »
I read this on the Dragonsfoot boards:

Quote from: Kevin Siembieda
My friend, Erick Wujcik, has passed on

“Erick passed away as gentle as a snowflake.”

That’s how Kay Kozora, Erick’s ‘Beautiful Kate’ of nearly 30 years put it when she called with the sad news. She and other loved ones were present when Erick passed away, Saturday evening, June 7, 2008. A Press Release with more details can be found on the main page of Palladium's website. These are my personal thoughts.

I took the initial news pretty well, but an hour or so later I wept. I was glad two of my other best friends, Kathy and Alex, were at my side.

After the tears, I found myself smiling and even laughing at times, as I retold stories about Erick or thought about the many real world adventures he and I have shared. We were best friends – practically brothers. We inspired each other, pushed each other, and loved each other for nearly three decades. Even now it makes me smile to know that Erick donated his body to science. Of course he did. It’s so like him.

Ultimately, the tears I shed are for myself, because I already miss him so much it hurts. I’m selfish. I want my friend to be around for another 50 years, sending me emails, offering gaming ideas and sharing the laughter. Yup, that’s the selfish me. Ah, but the smiles and laughter, that’s Erick Wujcik. Though gone from this mortal coil, his presence is still deeply felt and making me grin so broadly that it hurts my cheeks. And that’s the way he’d want it.

What else is there to say about Erick Wujcik?

A million things! But don’t worry, I won’t write them all. Not here, not now. You can catch a glimpse of Erick’s life and beautiful spirit by reading the hundreds upon hundreds of accounts from people around the world on the special blog we started back in December, 2007 – erickwujcik.com

As for me, I’ll be fine. You see, I have a network of loving friends all ready to lend an ear or offer a shoulder to lean on. Thanks guys and gals. Most of all, I have the memories of my brilliant, fun, funny, and joyful friend Erick to make me smile. That part of Erick Wujcik remains alive, locked deep inside my heart, forcing up the smiles.

Yep, Erick makes me smile. Right now, I envision Erick tooling around Heaven, bouncing from cloud to cloud to see who might be available to chat with. I can see him hunting down his old pals, Dan La Flesh and Roger Zelazny, and then grabbing Leonardo Da Vinci, Gandhi, Confucius, a few Roman Emperors, some saints, sinners, and Chinese Geomancers, and sitting them down to play test a new game idea. And when they are done, they’ll take a walk and discuss the I Ching, game theory, nanotechnology and time travel. And knowing Erick, he’ll eventually turn the topic around to, “So guys, what can we do about helping out Palladium Books?”

With love and smiles,
Kevin Siembieda
Publisher, Writer, Artist and Friend

© Copyright June 8, 2008 Palladium Books Inc. All rights reserved.

This makes me so sad. One of the great highlights in my gaming life was being able to play in games run by Erick one year when he visited Chicago. He ran an Amber game and one of his "experimental role playing" scenarios. Erick was always energetic, creative, and found clever ways to keep his players guessing. His diceless RPG system was (to me) one of the greatest innovations the gaming world has ever seen.

Erick will truly be missed. :(
Marv / Finarvyn
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Zachary The First

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Erick Wujcik passed
« Reply #1 on: June 09, 2008, 01:41:59 AM »
We lost a genius.

And to many, a friend and inspiration.

We'll miss you Erick, but bless you for legacy of friendship, games, inspiration, and fun.
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Silverlion

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Erick Wujcik passed
« Reply #2 on: June 09, 2008, 02:11:14 AM »
May you reach the stars in the hereafter.
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Trevelyan

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Erick Wujcik passed
« Reply #3 on: June 09, 2008, 12:25:15 PM »
RIP Erick :(
 

Jefferson Krogh

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Erick Wujcik passed
« Reply #4 on: June 09, 2008, 12:37:23 PM »
Farewell, Erick.  Thanks for giving us so many memories.  Thanks for being so easy to deal with on those few occasions I got to interact with you.
 

Pete

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Erick Wujcik passed
« Reply #5 on: June 09, 2008, 12:45:30 PM »
You're already missed, Erick.
 

Uncle Twitchy

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Erick Wujcik passed
« Reply #6 on: June 09, 2008, 02:05:47 PM »
May he rest in peace, and my sincerest condolences to his family and loved ones.
 

Abyssal Maw

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Erick Wujcik passed
« Reply #7 on: June 09, 2008, 02:13:22 PM »
Vaya Con Dios, Erick.
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JongWK

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Erick Wujcik passed
« Reply #8 on: June 09, 2008, 02:29:00 PM »
Why is it always the best ones who leave first? :(

Thank you, Erick, for all the good times I enjoyed with your creations. That's one hell of a game table you will have with Gary Gygax up there.
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Blackleaf

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Erick Wujcik passed
« Reply #9 on: June 09, 2008, 02:47:59 PM »
Very sad news.  He leaves a wonderful legacy though -- having created games that made so many people happy.

I feel like getting out TMNT and rolling up some crazy Kung-Fu mutant Critter.

Rel Fexive

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Erick Wujcik passed
« Reply #10 on: June 09, 2008, 02:59:35 PM »
Good-bye and hello, as always.  Condolences to his loved ones, it is a sad time for us all but for them especially.




I wish Mr Siembieda could have stopped mentioning his company's woes and putting 'TM' against the names of his games in these messages.
That is all.

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Nihilistic Mind

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Erick Wujcik passed
« Reply #11 on: June 09, 2008, 03:23:42 PM »
:(
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Erick Wujcik passed
« Reply #12 on: June 09, 2008, 05:04:28 PM »
Quote from: Rel Fexive


I wish Mr Siembieda could have stopped mentioning his company's woes and putting 'TM' against the names of his games in these messages.
That is all.


Rel: Kevin has a certain way about him, and you could certainly say that he's probably not expressing things in a very good way when it comes to Erick & Palladium, because the way he's saying things leads some people to feel that he's being exploitative or something.

But I know for a fact from my own interactions with Erick that he was very sincerely concerned about these sort of things. That's the kind of guy he was.

Consider this: Erick had not only given his name and the authorization to make this forum the OFFICIAL Erick Wujcik and Amber DRPG forum, he also agreed to be a moderator here.  Now, when I offered him that job, I assumed that he what he would do with it is basically be on here talking a lot about Amber or his current projects or whatever.  As it turns out, he didn't do too much of that; I certainly wish he'd have had time to do more of that sort of thing.

But you know what he did do? Everytime I came onto this forum, I'd see (with my super Admin-vision) a bunch of spam threads with the marker "Deleted by Erick Wujick". Instead of lording around on here and giving sage advice, as he certainly had EVERY right to do, and no doubt many of us would have loved for him to do; Erick was humbly and modestly deleting spam messages to make sure that his forum didn't have any ugliness to it. He knew that I would be doing that same job, or if not me any of the other mods, and he knew that it was NEVER assumed he'd have to do that kind of work here, but he did it anyways, as though he was just some everyday volunteer mod for this site and not Erick motherfucking Wujcik.

And he kept doing it; right up until the last time he ever logged in here, on May 29th. Yes, about one week before he died, when he was already in hospice care, dying of cancer, Erick Wujcik was logging on, coming to this forum on theRPGsite, and deleting spam messages. Why? Because he cared about this site, and wanted to help out, and he was my friend, and this place and the people in it mattered to him.

That's the kind of guy he was.

So you can have some issue with Kevin Siembieda's choice of words, but don't doubt for a second that he's telling the truth and that what he's expressing is not some kind of wishful thinking on his part; its what Erick was really like, and the way he really cared.

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Rel Fexive

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Erick Wujcik passed
« Reply #13 on: June 09, 2008, 05:23:37 PM »
Quote from: RPGPundit
Rel: Kevin has a certain way about him, and you could certainly say that he's probably not expressing things in a very good way when it comes to Erick & Palladium, because the way he's saying things leads some people to feel that he's being exploitative or something.

But I know for a fact from my own interactions with Erick that he was very sincerely concerned about these sort of things. That's the kind of guy he was.

Consider this: Erick had not only given his name and the authorization to make this forum the OFFICIAL Erick Wujcik and Amber DRPG forum, he also agreed to be a moderator here.  Now, when I offered him that job, I assumed that he what he would do with it is basically be on here talking a lot about Amber or his current projects or whatever.  As it turns out, he didn't do too much of that; I certainly wish he'd have had time to do more of that sort of thing.

But you know what he did do? Everytime I came onto this forum, I'd see (with my super Admin-vision) a bunch of spam threads with the marker "Deleted by Erick Wujick". Instead of lording around on here and giving sage advice, as he certainly had EVERY right to do, and no doubt many of us would have loved for him to do; Erick was humbly and modestly deleting spam messages to make sure that his forum didn't have any ugliness to it. He knew that I would be doing that same job, or if not me any of the other mods, and he knew that it was NEVER assumed he'd have to do that kind of work here, but he did it anyways, as though he was just some everyday volunteer mod for this site and not Erick motherfucking Wujcik.

And he kept doing it; right up until the last time he ever logged in here, on May 29th. Yes, about one week before he died, when he was already in hospice care, dying of cancer, Erick Wujcik was logging on, coming to this forum on theRPGsite, and deleting spam messages. Why? Because he cared about this site, and wanted to help out, and he was my friend, and this place and the people in it mattered to him.

That's the kind of guy he was.

So you can have some issue with Kevin Siembieda's choice of words, but don't doubt for a second that he's telling the truth and that what he's expressing is not some kind of wishful thinking on his part; its what Erick was really like, and the way he really cared.

RPGPundit


I don't doubt Mr Siembieda's sincerity of feeling in the slightest, and I certainly do not question Mr Wujcik's commitment to his friends and humbleness of spirit.  It's just even when posting about the passing of a great friend Mr Siembieda seemed unable to let go of his TM and (c) and (R).

"Never mind, let it go, let it be."

Sorry for the temporary derailment, folks.

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Warthur

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Erick Wujcik passed
« Reply #14 on: June 09, 2008, 07:40:44 PM »
Quote from: Rel Fexive
I don't doubt Mr Siembieda's sincerity of feeling in the slightest, and I certainly do not question Mr Wujcik's commitment to his friends and humbleness of spirit.  It's just even when posting about the passing of a great friend Mr Siembieda seemed unable to let go of his TM and (c) and (R).
To be honest, I think it's more important that Kevin is going to be trying to make sure Erick's legacy stays in print. If he does that, I think we can forgive him a few TMs and (c)s.
I am no longer posting here or reading this forum because Pundit has regularly claimed credit for keeping this community active. I am sick of his bullshit for reasons I explain here and I don't want to contribute to anything he considers to be a personal success on his part.

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