Elfyn McBratney

This last week has been trying, at best. And when I thought things really couldn't get any worse, they did. And when I thought I'd cried enough, I soon realised that I had evidently not...

Last Tuesday (16th September, 2006), Rob Levin - known to many as Freenode's lilo - was in a tragic car accident while he was out cycling in Houston, Texas. I'm told that he had not a mark on him, however he did suffer head injuries leaving him in a coma. On Saturday 16th September, 2006, while being treated in a local hospital's neuro trauma ICU (Intensive Care Unit) Rob passed away. This terrible news, still, has just not sunk in...

Over the last few months he and I talked rather a lot, and not just about Freenode; we talked about that obviously, but we would also talk about other common interests like Gentoo and Tor, but also life in general. This quite suprised me as he and I had "butted horns", so to speak, occasionally in the past; but, as suprises go, it was really a rather fabulous one.

The last thing I remember him telling me was: "have you tried breathing exercises?" (I was having some trouble sleeping at the time), and what do you know, it worked. Not suprising, really, as he was often good with advice - be it technical or otherwise. It saddens me deeply that we will never speak again...

Rob, you have taught me many many things; from the basics of IRC, to ways of dealing with the problems that life throws at you and that you throw at life. You have been my mentor these past few months, but more importantly you have been a most extraordinary friend. Your untimely passing has touched thousands upon thousands of people, and you will not be forgotten.

Rest in peace, good man. Rest in peace.