On Monday evening, September 12, 1994, I posted this GLIBFLASH:
Monday Evening, September 12, 1994 ...
Dearest GLIB friends ...
This evening, September 12th, at 6:00 pm, your beloved "Mrs. Sysop", and my Life Mate, John Meroney, died peacefully.
As many of you know, for some 20 years he struggled with physical handicaps to which many would have surrendered. But not John. His life these past years was one of constant physical pain.
Without his steadfast support and encouragement, GLIB could never have happened. John was my rock, the inspiration for whatever good things we may have done together. He was the level-headed business man and consummate computer systems engineer, and I mostly the dreamer.
This past week, his body simply could take no more. He was hospitalized Monday with pancreatic failure, and on Saturday evening he contracted massive pneumonia. He struggled until this evening, when God, in his infinite mercy, eased his pain. John was 44.
May God grant this fine man, and my Dearly Beloved John, eternal comfort and rest.
I loved him with all my heart and soul.
May those of you who also loved him join me in saying goodbye.
You are invited to pay your final respects this coming Thursday and Friday evenings (September 15th and 16th), from 6 to 9 pm at:
Everly-Colonial Funeral Home
6161 Leesburg Pike,
Falls Church, VA 22044
703-532-5161We're planning a memorial service in the near future at a local church.
With much love to you all
Your Sysop
Jon
Needless to say, I was devastated by John's death. As you'll read in his obituary here, John was not only the crucial person who indulged and supported my crazy idea to create GLIB, but he became the Vice President and Treasurer of CESF (the corporation that runs GLIB), did all our bookkeeping and tax reports, and also functioned as "Mrs. Sysop" (a sobriquet lovingly awarded by GLIB members), and "The Wicked Stepmother" (a self-appointed name taken in good humor).
John planned, cooked, and presented countless GLIB social events, and his chili was famous at GLIB mailing sessions. His food and crusty good humor turned work into an event. John and I shared our lives for 18 years, and John was the practical side of my being.
Despite constant pain and disability incurred by medications he took to keep him breathing, and his professional teaching as a Computer Scientist until mere days before his death, he never ever complained about himself, nor sought pity. Needing a cane for the past few years, he bore his pain and physical disability with grace, courage, and a sense of humor. (John used "crip" as the password for his bank card, his GLIB password was "gimpie", and he said that rather than consider himself crippled, he preferred to think of himself as looking good with a walking stick). His inner courage, strength, and support of GLIB and of me is probably more than either deserved.
John was my rock, my life, the reason I attempted all we accomplished together.
John Meroney is utterly unreplaceable, and I will miss him with all my heart till my heart is itself stilled, and we meet again in some other time and place.
Jon
Sysop, GLIB