SP when we first met, 15 years ago. Those clear gray eyes devastated me.
OMWC: Monday, at 4:59 PM, our beloved SP breathed her last. She was peaceful, relieved of the pain, and bathed in the love of her wonderful daughter and me. It was in the same hospital where she was born. The medical staff was crying as much as we were; we all knew how this was going to end, but that doesn’t help when it does. The recent time we’ve had with her was a miracle – the particular cancer which took her away from us is so virulent that average time from onset of symptoms to death is about a week. She was so strong and so determined that we managed to get over three months of life together. Not anything close to what we wanted, but nonetheless a blessing.
Robert Heinlein’s famous quote is apropos:
“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly.”
SP could do all those things and more – she could literally create community, bathe others in a magical radiated love and calm, and bring out happiness and contentment in everyone around her. SP had a unique talent of disarming people and putting them at ease: “People tell me everything.” And they did. And she always kept their confidences.
In her professional life, she was a paramedic/EMT, a COO, a CFO, an accomplished musician and visual artist, a photographer, a skilled coder and developer, a published poet, and a teacher. She could wire a house, run finances, bake bread, sew clothing, grow and can vegetables, dig gardens, save lives. “I’m not unfocused, I’m multifaceted.” This website is part of it – we’ve been in a friends chat group for a decade or so, and whose nucleus was some of the regulars from the old Hit & Run. When we lamented that we hadn’t left Reason, Reason had left us, she naively said, “Well, I could whip together a new site for you in a day or so…” And here we are.
In our real life, I was a restless and itinerant person, which suits my profession. But we came to a point where we wanted to stop moving, find a place that suited us, and live our life the way we built it, very self-contained and centered on each other. And we found it, back where she started. We knew that we’d live the rest of our life here, and in the end we did. SP figured out how to pull it off and she made it happen with sheer will and determination.
She wanted you to know that her last words were, “I have information that will lead to the arrest and conviction of Hillary Clinton.”
Artwork by SP
WebDom: I wish I knew where to begin, but words are wholly insufficient to encapsulate a woman as amazing and boundless as SP, though OMWC has come close.
There are so many things about my mother you already know: her boundless kindness for others, her ability to do anything she set her mind to, and her ability to see the good in others, even (perhaps especially) when they didn’t see it themselves. She had the gift of believing in everyone more than they believed in themselves, and she had the power to unlock their potential.
But there are other facets to SP that may not have risen to the surface overtly within the Glibertarian community.
SP was a Quaker who never judged others for their spiritual beliefs. She always held space for others to express their own spirituality, and she would always support them in exploring and strengthening their spiritual practices. I was a young child when she taught me the importance of seeking God (the universal consciousness, as she sometimes put it) in everyone. SP believed — barring few truly evil exceptions — that everyone possessed a little bit of God deep within them, and it was her daily endeavour to find it and nurture it. It didn’t always work, but she did her level best.
When I was a child she first introduced me to meditation through Quaker meeting. She showed me the importance of quietude for it is in the silence that your soul speaks. I was in my early teens when she introduced me to Qigong as a form of energy working. She taught me about the power of the mind to overcome physical challenges and how to align your body and mind. It is this alignment that kept her going through the cancer battle that, by all accounts, should’ve taken her from us long before it did.
Mom had a deep reverence for nature, and also had a deep spiritual connection with nature. Nature, in all of its magnificence and mayhem, was an expression of God and the cosmos. SP had a knack for finding tree spirits in the wild, and would continually communicate with plant spirits and the animals that would cross her path. Her love for nature was nearly matched by her disdain for injustice, intolerance, cilantro, and small talk.
There is so much more to SP than I can possibly share in this post. She was a diverse, talented, and eclectic person with loves and interests that included American Indian history, British murder mysteries, Great Pyrs, pizza, baking, herbs, tomatoes, ravens, and signs and portent.
As introverted and reclusive as she was, she did truly love the Glibertarian community and what it had evolved into. She was continually impressed by how brilliant, accomplished, kind, and worldly Glibs are. She felt at home here. She felt as though she accomplished something, and even though she withdrew over the last year due to life’s turbulence, she passed with the knowledge that Glibertarians.com was going to be part of her legacy. While we wouldn’t be here now without her, she wouldn’t have had this if it weren’t for all of you.
OMWC and I will always be grateful that Mom found her tribe.
OMWC and WebDom: And here’s SPs favorite song, which, in a fit of cosmic irony, was actually written for a friend of Mulvey’s who was dying of cancer. Like SP, it’s a piece of beautiful lyric poetry.
Goodbye, dear lady. The world is a darker place.
Somewhere in this world that light she gave to the world will find its way back, but right now it is a little dim.
We all knew it had to happen one day. But it is still absolutely devastating.
I will miss her. I’m grateful I got to know her a little.
OMWC and WebDom, the two of you have written a beautiful tribute to SP. Thank you for sharing it with us.
So much this. It is a beautiful tribute.
Goodbye my friend, you helped me be a better person,
Go Bless you OMWC, i know the feeling,
Seconded. When we meet people that leave an indelible mark on our lives they need to be honored.
It is difficult to think of the world with her not in it.
I can still hear her gently admonishing me for some minor thing. Gentle, humorous and kind.
Condolences to OMWC and all who knew SP. I’m hearing entirely too much of this sort of sadness as I grow older and it stinks.
I wish I had met her. Tragically not in this life, but then the next.
May her memory be a blessing.
It’s been a while since I’ve logged in. But here I am. I feel like I’ve lost a relative. Not just any relative, but one who would heap shit on me if I was wrong. There is one fewer good person in the world today, and yes, she would have caught my mistake
I am crushed. So glad I got to meet her, however briefly. Sad that I will never see her again.
Be well, my friends. Thank you for the beautiful tribute to SP.
Wonderful lady. The late night conversations I had with her always made me feel better. I have a strong feeling that’s the type of lady she was her whole life.
Thanks for the tribute. What an inspiring woman, which was evident even in my brief back and forths with her.
I’m so sorry for your loss. She will be missed. May her legacy live long in the many lives she has touched.
I never met the lady. Still, I am broken up. A testament to here impact here.
Same.
I can’t believe how easily the tears flowed.
Condolences to all who knew her.
I only hope that when it’s time for me to go, I can go with as much grace and dignity as she did. And by the same token, I also wish that I could take life’s hardships as well as OMWC seems to. I’m sorry that there isn’t more that we can do, especially given how many people have found help on this site in one form or another.
SP is already a hero to me, but if we could get ol’Hillary her comeuppance, too…
Only person on zoom that took it over naturally…not like some others…
Gonna miss that
Yep. People wanted to listen to her.
Loving tribute. Another wonderful soul to converse with in my prayers
Godspeed, SP. I will always cherish the meal, laughs, and lively conversation we shared.
Mr. Mojeaux also sends his condolences along to OMWC and Webdom.
I mainly knew SP through the Zoom meetings and a few e-mails back and forth about the few pieces I’ve written for the site.
She had some very kind things to say to me. I always find it awkward to respond to compliments because despite my outward persona, I don’t consistently think very highly of myself, and consequently compliments feel perfunctory to me. But she was so genuine that I knew she meant it, and almost believed I deserved it.
Rest lightly, SP, and may perpetual light shine upon you.
She thought highly of you. <3
Rest in Peace SP. I’ve never met you, but your influence lives on in this site.
requiescat in pace
Beautifully written, OMWC and Webdom.
I don’t have the words.
Rest In Peace SP. She was certainly an accomplished person who seemed to really bring people together and worked hard to make her world a better place.
I met her once and it was only virtually, but I was very happy to have the chance.
I’m very sorry OMWC and WebDom. I can’t understand what you are both feeling, but please know there are many here who will do what they can to help.
Beautiful tributes, OMWC and Webdom. What a wonderful and amazing person she was. I’ve got tears in my eyes. May she rest in peace, she will truly be missed by all of us.
SP was my IT team! She got me all set up with my business domain and email server. She also gave me great advice when I was creating my logo. She was always so giving and helpful. I so wish I could just give her a hug and say “Hi, SP. It’s great to finally meet you in person!”
My absolute best wishes to OMWC and WebDom. I know how real the pain is. The physical anguish will subside as time goes on. Remember all the joy you shared. ?
I guess I’ll do what I always do and throw down a song link. I hope it helps in some small way. I Remember Everything by John Prine.
Yeah, that’s all I know how to do, too.
Sounds as if you fooled Old Devil Time for a while, SP. And those other devils, too. Well done.
OMWC and WebDom I’m so sorry for your loss. May she rest in peace and rise in glory.
Amen to this.
Also, fuck cancer.
I am sorry OMWC, Webdom, and the rest of the glib family. One always holds out hope that this post would never come. I didn’t know SP other than here in the text world, but her SPecial links always gave me a chuckle along with many other wonderful stories and a personality that shined through. I will will miss you.
So very sad to read this – my deepest condolences.
As others have written, this world is dimmer without her.
She was so fun and full of life on the ZOOMs. I’m sorry I never got to meet her in person. Condolences to Webdom and OMWC, and the other PTB that were close to her. We were all blessed to know her, albeit in different ways. Who’s chopping onions in here?
The one time my wife dropped into a Zoom, SP was also there. SP insisted or talking to her for a few minutes and called her Mrs. Raven Nation which really touched my wife.
I’m so sorry to hear the news, and my condolences (which seems so thin) to OMWC, Webdom, and other friends and family.
Rest in Peace, SP. My condolences to OMWC, WebDom, and the entire Glib community.
SP and I had interacted a few times via the forum and email and zoom over the years, and it is in part due to her that I have a container vegetable garden in my backyard right now.
I wish that the stars had aligned and we had gotten to meet in-person.
Thank you again for putting together the rusty can lids mobile, and for the opportunity for antisocial jerks like me to participate.
That was a delight and a great comfort.
Rest in peace SP and condolences to all left behind. I am very sorry to hear this and also sorry I never had the chance to meet her or show her a bit of the old country, where she had some roots.
My condolences. We were – and are – blessed by her.
I don’t know what to say. Her divine spark was obvious and I’m not surprised to read that she had a strong spiritual gift.
I’m so sorry that she’s gone.
All my love to you both, to her, and to everyone who feels the loss of a wonderful person.
First of all I wish OMWC and WebDom all the best during this time of sorrow. You were both lucky to have a woman of SP’s strength and humor as part of your lives. She lives on in this great gift she created for the Glib community.
I consider myself fortunate to have shared one evening of life with her. I will have some Port in her honor at the beach this evening and think about how she blessed our lives.
You know how to get ahold of me. Please reach out for any reason.
I’ve been dreading the day when I would hit refresh and “SP Update April 14” would change to something else. I’m so sorry you guys.
Me too. And now I feel empty and at a loss and in wonder that someone I’ve never met could make me feel like this.
Rest In Peace.
The same here. Even though we’ve never met I feel like I’ve lost a family member. Condolences to OMWC and WebDom.
Same. Condolences to OMWC and WebDom.
Godspeed SP, my prayers are with the three of you. Life’s thrown me a fair share of curve balls, and I don’t spend much time online any more. But this is the only online community that’s meant much to me after I’ve left it. It’s a hell of a legacy.
<3
Not much to say that hasn’t been said here already so I’ll just quote my daughter after meeting SP on one of a few occasions: “He’s a bit weird, but she’s a nice lady.”
May I have the opportunity to know her on the other side.
I am less afraid knowing SP will be there whipping it into shape
Wow, a beautiful tribute you wrote of her, what an amazing woman. I am so very sorry for your loss.
No words can convey what I feel right now. My wife said it best around me. After a zoom, she looked at me and said “I really like her”. OMWC, WebDom, our love goes out to you. You know how to reach us if there is anything we can do.
D
My only interactions with SP were a few of her replies to comments of mine, and a couple of exchanges of emails when I was just beginning to write the occasional post.
She was very kind to me, and I will always remember that.
My sincerest condolences to the Old Man and Webdom.
OM – It was on a late night Zoom, I believe, that I really got to speak with SP once. I forget the context, but she spoke of you. She was saying that when she met you, she wasn’t looking for anyone, and she had no desire to be in a relationship. But once she met you, she didn’t want to be without you. You were that special to her. Remember that.
WebDom/OM – I have nothing to offer but platitudes. Beyond that, WD, after a bit you’re going to think of something and think ‘I want to talk about it with Mom’. Then it hits. S, everything – everything will remind you of her. May you both keep in mind the good times.
This was true for both of us. My very unhappy previous marriage had recently broken up, she had a long-term relationship end badly, and we had both eparately gotten to a place of acceptance that we just were going to fly solo. We had actually “known” each other in an online sense for quite a few years but had only minimal and casual interaction; she was the sysop for what was at the time the top advanced cooking and wine forum on the ‘Net and I was a frequent and often controversial participant (interestingly, one of the frequent posters was the great Charles Murray). One of the other participants, a former rock star, was separately friends with her and me, and sort of casually suggested to me that I might want to chat her up a bit. Separately, he dropped the same thought in her ear. We started a PM correspondence which led to some phone calls, which led to twice daily Skype calls… we knew within a week that this was IT. We spent the next 8 months on Skype, then left our homes (mine in California, hers in New Mexico) to live together in Montana. A year after that, we were living in Austin and finally got married.
The only reason we waited to get married was the slowness of the court in California to finalize my divorce decree. And when that happened, she went into her usual state of action and taking control, got our marriage license ready online, got us plane tickets to Las Vegas (less hassle than Texas, we both hated Vegas), the address of the best pizza place in town, a bottle of our favorite Champagne, and tickets to see Penn & Teller. The ceremony was at a hilariously cheesy wedding chapel (“The Allure”), complete with boom box for the music.
Sorry to rattle on. We had a phenomenal marriage, built on absolute mutual love, respect, and trust. This isn’t a hole in my life, it’s a chasm. I’m grateful for my family, actual and virtual, who are helping me pick up the pieces of my shattered heart.
Which forum was this? Intriguing…
(CA dissolutions: de jure, 6 months. De facto, they take however long they take.)
(And apologies for my tone-deafness.)
It’s long gone, but in the late ’90s/early ’00s, it was The Place. Wine Lovers’ Discussion Group/Food Lovers’ Discussion Group.
The funny thing was that no-one (other than the guy who pushed us) knew that we had gotten involved. When we finally let out the secret, people were… shocked. She was vastly amused by all the PMs she got saying variations of, “Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, my god, that man’s politics!”
“Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, my god, that man’s
politicsa cradle-robbing pedophile with a van full of kidnapped orphans!”Seriously, prayers to you and all of SP’s family.
That anecdote is just about perfect! Better than any Rom-Com yet written! I can picture it happening as if I were there… She was a special person and we meet precious few of those on this ride.
Charles Murray
Of “The Bell Curve”?
the address of the best pizza place in town, a bottle of our favorite Champagne, and tickets to see Penn & Teller. The ceremony was at a hilariously cheesy wedding chapel (“The Allure”), complete with boom box for the music.
🙂
I am sorry she passed. Let us know if you need anything.
Yes, and more to the point, “What It Means To Be A Libertarian.”
I never knew he wrote that.
One of these days I’ll read the “Bell Curve”. I expect I will find out a lot of the noise about it was bullshit.
A wonderful origin story. God bless to you and the family.
The world is a lesser place now. But, she gave us gift of Glibs. Glad I got to meet her.
SP did so much for so many of us. Some she touched more than others. Those in the latter group got the short end of the stick. She was there when we all needed this place as a respite from the craziness of the world. It doesn’t exist without her. Her memory will resonate due to that legacy.
We love you guys, OMWC and WebDom. And we love SP dearly and will continue to celebrate her life and lament her passing. The world is less of a place without her in it but is a greater place for the impact she’s made on you two and the rest of us. She will be sadly missed.
SP was a special lady, and we were all lucky to know her. I’m glad I got to meet her in person.
RIP
This is a great tribute.
I’m so sorry OMWC and WebDom. SP was a kind and special person.
My condolences, she obviously had a positive impact on a lot of people and the world would be a better place with more people like her.
SP and Webdom were nice enough to drop by our house on their way to some other important family errand – which is just so her it makes me chuckle and cry – and have dinner with us one night. The wine she brought was way better than the mediocre pasta we made, although both ladies were very kind. She had “the look” that could make even my oblivious boys reconsider whether rude and rambunctious was a good tactic going forward. I miss her wit and humor already.
Thanks to OMWC and Webdom for sharing her with us.
We both enjoyed our visit immensely. For the last few years, she would still bring it up and talk about our time with you and your family. She thought so well of you all.
I don’t know what else to say besides that I am so sorry. ?
I’m at a loss for words. While my interactions with SP were largely confined to the zoomies, there was a timbre to her voice and a sparkle in her gaze that made me want to be a better person. The kindness and generosity given by SP and her family (blood and extended) to this random schlub on the internet is humbling, amazing, and far more than I deserve. The world is a dimmer, duller, drabber place this morning. Fair winds and following seas you wonderful, beautiful woman.
She had such a lovely voice! Dulcet. Soothing. With a hint of playful mischief.
I loved her voice so much. And — little known fact — she was a phenomenal singer.
We are, as you know, completely devastated. We are all smaller and lesser without her. SP was so looking forward to meeting you. Even in her final days she wanted to know that you would be OK and looked after.
My heart goes out to you. We never met face to face, yet through this place we have become family. And now my family is hurting. I pray for you and for all those she touched. The world is a little less bright today.
So sorry for your loss, OM and DM. She was always a joy to talk to, even if it was only online or on Zooms, she will be missed.
So very sorry. On a Wednesday Zoom a while back everyone else dropped off temporarily and I got to chat with SP one-on-one for a few minutes. The conversation wound up mostly me telling her about myself, because she kept asking. Made me feel like the most important person on earth. That was the only time we met, and I will never forget. Rest in peace, beautiful lady.
So sorry to all of SP’s friends, family and the Glibs community. It is a loss to all of us.
Condolences.
My sincerest and deepest condolences.
This site that SP created is one of the true bright spots in a gloomy and melancholy world.
The world will miss her and we will all carry her with us.
I’m glad you had more time together than fate normally allows. Her memory will always be a part of this community.
Farewell, friend I never met.
I’m crying at my desk at work. I shouldn’t be. I shouldn’t feel that kind of connection. The husband and daughter must be communicating pain.
I felt the same way when reading her tributes and then the rest of the thread. I first teared up at a bar then later at home when I finished the thread.
I have nothing to add that others haven’t said already,but I hope your memories of her will only bring you joy in the coming years.
God bless you and rest you, SP.
OMWC and WebDom,
You have my deepest and most heartfelt condolences. My heart aches for you.
My deepest condolences to SP’s family and friends.
Condolences to you all, and I am sorry for your loss.
My deepest sympathies to both of you.
I am terrible at using my words to try to comfort you. Just know that SP was a wonderful person (even if a bit fuzzy on the rules of bike ownership) and we will all miss her.
My deepest condolences to both of you.
I’ve never met you in person but I feel that I’ve come to know all in a way that is more meaningful than most of the people I interact with. May your hearts be at peace in this time of loss.
Bummer.
The tears are flowing. She was a special woman. Not only to OMWC and WebDom, but to all of us. Someone said it above, she created a place that is a spiritual, intellectual and cultural Mecca for the Glibs and more.
She helped me publish my first articles here. I didn’t know how to navigate anything, and she cheerfully had me email them to her and she did the rest to help this numbskull. She even added art, and her choices reflected her individuality. It was very special and sweet of her.
I feel like, in my own way, I was personally touched by her. She’ll touch every soul she meets from now on. In the Afterlife or through the memories we all have and share of her.
OMWC and WebDom: a beautiful eulogy for a beautiful and special Lady. My condolences. Thank you for sharing. The power of her is magnified by the number of people who are profoundly affected and moved by everything she did, and was thrilled to do for us.
Rest in the Greatest Peace, SP.
I have no words that are worthy. I am truly sorry for your loss, OMWC and WebDom. My condolences to all who knew her personally.
Sorry to you all.
I never met her, but her emails back and forth about my first articles here were very gracious and kind.
She seemed to be an awesome lady and we have definitely lost a big part of our community.
My sincere condolences.
Thank you for writing this. It must have been difficult. So sorry for your loss.
“She wanted you to know that her last words were, “I have information that will lead to the arrest and conviction of Hillary Clinton.””
Sorry, if I shouldn’t have laughed at that, although it sounds that’s what she would have wanted. She built a great place here, and is in better place now.
She wanted everyone to laugh…she brought joy to all. That is who she was.
We actually discussed it with her a week ago. She thought it was hilarious and encouraged us. It will actually be in her official obit, in the hopes it will go viral and more people will know of this amazing human.
A) It got a legit lol from me. B) That in her obit is GOLD, JERRY! GOLD!
I love that that’s exactly what she wanted. No joke, beautiful on so many levels.
I don’t know how to properly say this, because I mostly lurk here and really don’t know you people at all, and I was trying to compose some sort of lame “wow, this sucks, my condolences” post – heartfelt, but as I say, I don’t really know any of you…
And then… this comment right here, for whatever reason, this is the one that made me actually tear up, with tears of laughter and sadness at the same time.
I did.
Humor in the face of death demonstrates unshakeable courage, in my opinion.
All of us, each of us, have a special and personal love for SP. In the times we needed her and OMWC they were there for us. SP made the house a Glib Home, for that I and our Glib family will ever be grateful. Thank you SP. Thank you, OM, Thank you WebDom.
I’m praying for you.
She wanted you to know that her last words were, “I have information that will lead to the arrest and conviction of Hillary Clinton.”
A good sense of humor all the way to the end. RIP.
Tears. I only knew her remotely but I grieve with you. Everything about her screamed “Quality Person” in bright shiny neon. I’ll miss her but can’t imagine what you must be feeling. She made such a difference in so many lives and will be sorely missed. You have my utterly sincere condolences. Darryl.
What a blow. She is a great person who built a great community for us misfits.
My condolences to OMWC and WebDom.
OMWC and WebDom you have my deepest sympathies. Don’t know what to say aside that it was good to hear she passed away peacefully, comfortably and sounded by the people who loved her the most. At truly impressive woman who made everyone and everything around better and brighter. Bless her memory, bless her life, and bless you both.
What the good Pope said. I never seem to have the right words – so all I can say is that SP was and is loved and will be missed by us until we join her. I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting any Glibs in real life — but SP, OMWC and WebDom still feel like extended family. All the best to you.
I’m not much for words. You all have my deepest condolences.
So sorry for your loss.
My all too brief interactions with her were wonderful.
I frequently would check the top post, hoping and praying beyond reason that it would reflect a miracle. Unfortunately, it was not to be.
My deepest condolences to OMWC, WebDom, the rest of her family, and all her friends.
I should also mention that we will have a memorial celebration for her around July 5 or 6. Final date and time TBA. If any of you can see your way to western NY around that time, we can promise much fun and merriment.
I will be passing through on my way to FreedomFest around that time. I will keep an eye out for the date.
Thank you! I have in-laws in Bemus Pt., so I’ll do my best to come. ❤️
I’ll make it – where should we watch for details?
I can’t, thanks to my dad’s condition.
The good news is that he asked me today about what all goes into liquidating the house.
I will be there.
Even when expected the blow falls hard. I am so sorry for your loss, which the rest of us share in only the smallest part. And to SP, thank you for all you did for this community of miscreants and rabble.
I know she faced death head-on. I know she looked death in the hairy eyeball and said, “Not yet.”. That seems to be the person she was: fierce, firm, determined, but gentle. I hope she now has the peace she deserves.
And her voice could melt stony, jaded bastards like me.
I give all my best to both Old Man and Web Dom. If you ever find yourself hungry in Northern Minnesota, I have three of those damn Moosewood vegan cookbooks with lots of recipes to try. I need some guinea pigs.
Good bye, S.P.
So sorry for your loss. It’s pretty rare to get choked up about someone I’ve only exchanged a few pleasant emails with, but she was apparently amazing and I love hearing your remembrances.
I loved her so very much. Always kind, always accepting. She said I was her Favorite to tease the others. She was our Favorite.
Final Rankings:
Favorite- SugarFree
First Runner Up- Mad Scientist
Miss Congeniality- Tulip
Damn it. I was hoping GlibFit would get me an honorable mention.
She was a wonderful human being. The kind the rest of us should aspire to be. I remember when we were knocking around the idea of this site, and then BANG, she just made it happen. No work for me? THANK YOU, SP! There were frustrations, many of which would have been shoveled her way, but all too often she had the problems solved before the rest of us even knew there were problems. She was a trustworthy confidant. A fantastic host. An great conversationalist. A lover of all things Wonder Dog. And the sort of person you could just sit quietly with and feel like everything was OK. She’d roll her eyes at OMWC, but her bemused smile would belie her peculiar devotion to him. I miss you, dear. The world is poorer without you in it, but SO MUCH richer since you were here.
A light has gone out of this world. My deepest condolences to OMWC and Webdom. May you find strength in this time. Really there are no words to express an entire life filled with such love. Peace to all who knew and loved her.
Keeping you and yours in my prayers.
Damn. I’ve been checking the site dreading seeing this. WebDom, Old Man, thank you so much for sharing her with us all. I’m deeply sorry for your loss.
Such a capacious mind and heart. She set up my blog, and was patient like Job with my questions and stupidity. She also took my old crappy graphic and turned it into something really cool, clean…
Ahhh, damn. I’m glad she is at peace and that she went surrounded by the love of her family.
May the peace of those who had the fortune to bask in the light of her love be yours. (I know it is).
She basks in the light and majesty of Universal Love; this gives me joy in the face of the grief at her passing.
Thoughts and prayers to you and all who are saddened by her passing.
My deepest condolences to you and your family. A sad day for all of us.
I got to meet SP one time in a restaurant when she was traveling through town. She was such a joy to be with – the time flew by. And as we said our good-byes in the parking lot she gave me a hug. I will miss her. My condolences to her family and close friends.
I’m jealous.
I’m so very sorry. Thank you for sharing the loving and lovely eulogies. Words fail me.
So sad to hear this. I was fortunate enough to hear her on a Zoom call about a week ago. I could tell she was a fiery soul, even to the very end.
I suppose the best thing I can say is this. I hope that some day I will be worthy of someone writing something like this about me. It seems I still have work to do. I think if you said just 10% of this about a person, you would say they lived a great life.
My condolences to the two of you and the rest of your family and friends.
My deepest condolences to OMWC, Webdom and the entire Glibs community.
This is so sad. I feared the worst when seeing there was an “update.”
Condolences to OMWC and WD. I never met her, but she helped me with my first Glib articles long ago. She left a legacy and will live in our hearts forever.
Wow she was so pretty. So so sorry for your loss. She sounds like one in a million.
The community won’t be the same without her. One of the great contributors to this site in her words and everything behind the scenes. We lost one of the good ones. Condolences to OMWC and Webdom and all their friends and family. That was a beautiful and moving tribute even for those of us who never had the pleasure of knowing her in person.
Condolences.
Unscientific though it may be, I believe that SP will one day be re-united — perhaps in ways we cannot now fathom — with friends and family, as shall we all.
Thanks for everything you’ve done for this little community, and thank God for your life.
Godspeed, SP.
I do not have adequate words so I will simply say that I am sorry for OMWC, WebDom, and all the rest of the Glibs family, and also thankful for what SP contributed to help create this special place.
God bless and keep you, SP.
OMWC,
I lost my wife a few years back. I know how devastating it is. And I know anything I could possibly say at this point would ring hollow and prove utterly inadequate. All I will say is that I hope the Good Lord or fate or what have you looks after you and WebDom in the coming weeks and months and years. The hole never really goes away, but you do learn to live with it.
My deepest condolences in your time of loss.
Even though we’ve never met, I am heart-broken by all of our loss.
I am so sorry about this loss.
I never knew her and and I wish I did.
I’ve not been blessed with the eloquence you, and so many here possess, so I will give my condolences to you, and my gratitude to SP.
A beautiful tribute, RIP SP. Condolences to OMWC and WebDom.
The Buddha tells us: “We begin to die from the moment we are born, for birth is the cause of death. The nature of decay is inherent in youth, the nature of sickness is inherent in health, in the midst of life we are verily in death.” I think Buddha was a sanctimonious prick.
The brief time I had with SP, I saw those eyes and the sparkle therein. In fact, she wouldn’t shut the fuck up in the midst of our local Glibs, despite having driven from who-knows-where on her way back to NY. I enjoyed every moment I spent with her in our little fellowship group.
I don’t know if this is entirely appropriate but it’s the thought that counts: קֳדָם אֲבוּהוֹן דִּי בִשְׁמַיָּא וְאִמְרוּ אָמֵן
And I leaned it here- “a sorrow shared is halved; a joy shared is doubled.”
Requiescat in Pace, SP. I haven’t been around much in the last couple years thanks to some career decisions, but I will always be grateful for the place she created here. I am very, very sorry for your loss, OMWC and WebDom.
And as usual, I didnt RTFA.
“She wanted you to know that her last words were, “I have information that will lead to the arrest and conviction of Hillary Clinton.”
I just coughed and shot beer into my sinuses.
I came here late as a lost soul with no tribe of my own and was welcomed by SP like a prodigal son, after the obligatory Tupla accusations of course.
A lovely tribute to a lovely person I wish I had met, she sounds so much like my own mother I find old wounds laid bare.
Best wishes to OMWC and WD, and all the rest who knew and loved her, she was a very SPecial person. Peace.
So, so sorry. May you find peace and comfort.
So sad for your loss, but happy that you truly knew and loved such a wonderful person. She will live on in the hearts and minds of many.
So sorry for your loss – we are sitting at our table in Chicago thinking of your visit and crying. Our sincere condolences.
Don’t have much else to say at this time but you’re in my prayers.
See you later, SP. You brought life and laughs to this here place.
Thank you SP, and farewell.
To OMWC and Webdom – my condolences. I wish I had something better to say, but I’m not good with words. I ‘d give yall hugs if I could.
I’m sorry to hear this news OMWC and Webdom. That was a very nice eulogy.
I’m bummed I never got to meet SP in person. I was so looking forward to a visit from you guys, but you left the Chicago area before it could happen. One of the places I planned to take you for a visit is Trempealeau, WI. The place has an aura about it.
I don’t communicate well in this format, but not long after the inception of this site I felt a connection with SP, initially through similar music interests. I’ve already missed her presence around here the last few months. She was a Special Person.
I only got to meet SP one time in person. All my other contact was by email. Even with my too brief time with her, it was obvious she was special.
I have no doubt she would take pleasure in people believing she had the goods on Hillary Clinton. What a fitting final statement.
My condolences to WebDom and OMWC. I know your loss is enormous.
I’m late as usual. SP built a place for the regulars and lurkers alike. As a common lurker, I will surely miss her. I have the utmost respect for what she helped build here. My condolences to OMWC and WD. Rest in peace dear soul.
The world is both a greater place for her existence and lesser place for her passing. A life well lived that will echo onwards through time.
Somehow I felt it in my bones that this was the time.
She touched so many of us who never even met her in person! Not many folks can claim that. She didn’t just talk a good game; she delivered.
OMWC , WebDom, you have my deepest condolences. I’m sure she’s proud.
This Earth is not meant to be our permanent home.
You have my deepest sympathy.
I don’t even know what to say. I’m so sorry. Anyone who can make a website like this, and put up with heathens like us, is a special person in my mind. I didn’t personally know her, but she will be missed by me anyways. Now I have to explain to my wife why I’m crying.
We knew the day was coming but it doesn’t make it less profoundly sad.
What a wonderful work SP has done in making WebDom, completing OMWC, and creating this crazy community of half-crazy small l libertarians who have been here for each other!
I never had the pleasure of meeting SP in person, but I mourn her as well as celebrate her.
This world is not meant to be our permanent home. See you on the flip side, SP!
Hugs to OMWC and WebDom.
I never met her but, through this site, felt as if I knew her. My sympathy and best wishes to your family.
There are no adequate words; I am sorry for your, and the world’s, loss.
SP – Thank you for what you created here.
OM, WD – Thank you for sharing her with the rest of us.
You know who also died of cancer?
I enjoyed our visit with SP and OMWC and had always looked forward to another. Alas, not to be.
The world has lost a SPecial person.
I’m sorry, I ‘m at a loss for the right words. Condolences to OM and WD.
BTW, OM, I used that same Heinlein quote at my dad’s services.
OMWC, one of our fondest memories is of the dinner Mrs. Animal and I shared with you, SP, Swiss, RCDean and one or two other Chicago-area Glibs whose identities I’m embarrassed to say I don’t remember. You and SP struck us then as lovely people, and of course you helped build a community we treasure, and one that gave back a little of my lost faith in humanity.
We grieve with you. We were sitting in the airport when when we got the news, and people around us were probably wondering why we both burst into tears. But love is the only thing you can give someone and still have, and among many SP’s contributions is the love she poured into this community, and the love we all had, and still have, for her. That’s a pretty good legacy.
You know how to reach me. Please feel free to let Mrs. A and I know if there’s anything we can do to help you and WebDom through this difficult time.
Terrible to hear OMWC. I hate it for you. SP was great and will be missed.
Our whole little community here exists because of her strength and we will never be able to fully repay that. I am so sorry for your loss OMWC and WD.
I’m so sorry. ?
Sad to read this news.
RIP
My condolences. Sending all good spiritual thoughts your way.
I’m a delivery driver, and I usually go ahead and sign the electronic device for the customers. (Repeat customers) One of my Monday and Friday stops the initials for the person is SP. These last few months every time I typed that in, I would send a little prayer up for SP, I will continue to do that now for you (OMWC) and her daughter (WebDom)
I didn’t think about it until your comment, but i work for a service provider and my favorite railroad is the Southern Pacific.. strange.
My sincere condolences.
OMWC and WebDom. Be strong.
She is in a better place.
The world is less by this loss.
But the world is greater by what she’s given to all of us.
My life is better having met SP even if from afar. Thanks for the remembrances Old Goat and Webdom.
It’s hard for me to know what to say. I never met you in person, S.P., but you had a big impact on my life. I started writing again and talking to people because of you. I will remember you for everything you did for this community of beautiful misfits. And I will honor your memory and you actions by continuing to support this community. Bless you, bless OMWC, and bless Webdom. You have reminded me of how much difference one person can make.
Condolences to the SP family and friends.
Reading her eulogy here has made me glad and hopeful rather than sad. If one person can do so much, there is a lot of hope for the world and for us all. Good work SP, enjoy your rest.
Condolences to you and yours for your loss. May she continue to grow and learn through all eternity.
Back from a long hiatus and this is the first thing I see. What a tragedy. So sorry for your family’s loss.