My condolences to Ricard.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

My sincere condolences, Ricard.

I can't begin to comprehend your loss.

Stefan.

[MSM 126]

This must be a hard time for you Ricard. My condolences.

[TownerFan 4,983]

My deepest and heartfelt condolences to you, dear Ricard.

[stewdog1 50]

I am so sorry to hear about your loss, Ricard. May you find peace.

[Incanus 5,714]

My deepest condolences Ricard. I can't even begin to imagine how you feel. I' am truly sorry for your loss.

[Kendal_Ozzel 36]

My condolences, Ricard. You'll be in my prayers.

[NapoleonsGhoest 0]

I visited this website this morning and saw the headline. I'm truly sorry Ricard, and you will be in my prayers. Just from that picture and that headline we can see how much he meant to you. You have my sincerest condolonces.

God bless,

The Ghoest-

[John McClane 1]

Stefancos--->Veteran--->8995 posts

NapoleonsGhoest--->Veteran--->12 posts

That's a lot of differences.

[Lurker 5]

Stefancos--->Veteran--->8995 posts

NapoleonsGhoest--->Veteran--->12 posts

That's a lot of differences.

And the wrong thread to make that observation in. Please do it elsewhere.

And I don't want to see a reply to this post in this thread.

Neil

[Ricard 2,245]

Dear friends,

I know this reply comes as a surprise to most of you, given the fact that I have been absent from the board since the spring of 2003, when the moderator?s tasks were transferred to Indysolo. In fact, I wanted to post a reply to this thread a few weeks ago. But things in my life aren?t going well lately, and I never found the right moment to do this.

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all of you who offered your condolencies for the passing of my father, be it in this thread, via pm or email. Your words really helped me during these difficult times.

I thought I?d share with you some old and recent memories. It was thanks to my father that I discovered film music, almost 35 years ago. There was a cassette tape compilation that was often playing in his car, which I loved to listen to while watching the road from the back seat. I remember feeling every note of that music very deeply. I was happy when I listened to it.

That led to my subsequent discovery of John Williams. I couldn?t help but notice that his name was attached to some of the most successful blockbusters of the time -The Poseidon Adventure, The Towering Inferno, Earthquake and Jaws).

My father also was in the theater next to me when I first heard the wonderful notes of the Star Wars main theme, and as I walked through the corridor while the end credits music played in the background, and I had just ?officially? become a John Williams fan. I also remember his patient smile while I listened to the newly-purchased cassette tape of Close Encounters of the Third Kind in the front seat of his car.

In 2002 my father was diagnosed with cancer, and his bladder, prostate and urethra had to be removed.

A few months later, as a result of the chemotherapy (I would say excess of it), a portion of the small intestine was affected, and he began losing weight at an alarming rate -especially during his stays at the hospital- until the point he started falling down too often, in the street and at home, injuring himself and feeling more insecure every day.

He kept losing weight (over 70 pounds) until he couldn?t walk without help, then he couldn?t walk at all, and in the end he could only move his hands and his eyes.

During the last days in the hospital, he lost even more weight and his brain became so affected that the last day I saw him alive he didn?t recognized me.

My father died in my mother?s arms, moments after she arrived in the morning. It was as if he was waiting for her to get to the hospital so he could live his last moments with the woman he loved. Indeed, they had been deeply in love with each other for over 40 years. And I know I was the fruit of their love.

Coincidentally, my father died exactly one year after the passing of Michael Kamen, one of my all time favorite composers.

As I said before, these difficult times have been a little less difficult thanks to the support of this wonderful community. What this site has become thanks to its visitors, members and the invaluable contribution of Andreas Westphal was simply unthinkable six years ago, when I created that little website about the then upcoming score to The Phantom Menace.

The only thing I regret is not being able to work on the site as much as I would like to lately. But rest assured that I?ll do my best to keep the main page updated during these exciting times, with two major works of The Maestro coming this Spring.

Let me conclude by thanking, once again, Andreas for his financial and technical support to this website, and for his hard work and extreme patience during the last four years. Let?s try to do our best to help him overcome the current difficulties and donate some money for the new server, if possible.

And of course, thanks to Neil S. Bulk for being the best moderator this forum can have (I would say the best moderator that any forum can have, but perhaps that would be too subjective).

Well, I think that?s all I wanted to say. Thanks for reading my message. And please, do your best to stay as healthy as possible -you never know what medicine can do to you. And above all, enjoy your life

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

That's one of the most touching posts I've read here. I can only imagine what it must be like to go through what you've been through. Deepest condolences, once again.

It's good to here from you again, though.

- Marc

[King Mark 3,631]

oh,our Master is back!

Going through that tragedy must be horrible,I encourage you to come back to join our discussions about the upcoming JW scores.Maybe it would cheer you up a bit.

K.M.

[Adam 1]

I very much enjoyed hearing your story, Ricard. My belated but sincere condolences.

- Adam

[John Crichton 4]

I have no words that are adequate. Thanks for posting, Ricard. Wonderfully moving.

[Justin 2]

Hi, Ricard!!!

Justin

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Ricard.

So far I am fortunate enough not to have gone though anything as hard and tragic as you and your family had endure.

Therefore I cannot tell you that eventually you will feel better, cause...I really don't know.

Oddly enough even though I have never met you, you have had an enormous inpact on my life from the very moment I found this place in 2000. (damn, almost 5 years already?)

Thank you, my friend, hope you are well.

Stefan.

[Miguel Andrade 1,263]

Dear Ricard,

Unlike Stefan, I can deeply relate to what you've been going through. Even if my parents are still alive and healthy, I've lost some very dear and close friends, and some of them also had to fight illness for a long time.

I do understand that this is not the time to go back and work on the site -- or maybe it is, maybe it clears your mind of other, sadder thoughts. Everyone reacts on diferent ways, and personally, to me, work as always been the best medicin.

I think that, whatever lies ahead, regarding the site, you and your family are always in our prayers. And I say our, as I do think that on this I can speak for all of us. Because, if you have achieved something really amazing, was to make us all come together, under our admiration for the music of John Williams. There will never a way to fully thank you.

Take care of you and of your family

Miguel

[John McClane 1]

I don't have anything to add to what Stefan and Miguel said.

My parents are still alive, but recently I came up with the tragic lost of one of my best friend. He was on his scooter and the car driver hit it and he was so bastard he didn't even stop to help my friend.

I can only image how could be (and will be) my life without my mother or my father. It will be a very sad and tragic period, since nobody are more precious to us that our parents.

When I read your post, I was almost moved to tears, when you remembered your first John Williams experience.

You gave us the chance to know a lot of people here, and share our love for John Williams. I never met anyone of this persons (and possibly never meet) but since I enjoyed here I feel like I have a lot of new friends. And it's hard to call "friend" someone you never met. I really hope this site will not die.

Hope your life will continue in the happiest way possible,

take care!

Mirko

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

Ricard, im very sorry for you and your family, and i hope you dont have to endure a situation as hard as it was again

I agree in what has been said before me, and take care

Manuel

[Romão 2,274]

This board is home for all of us. And your father is in a better place, I just know it.

And we're aproaching exciting times on this MB indeed.

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

Very nice post, it's good to hear from you again.

Ray Barnsbury

[QMM 4]

Moving post Ricard, I offer my sincerest condolences again and wish you well.

Max

[John McClane 1]

Well...I don't know why, but I wanted you to know this thing. I'm just feeling it, people.

Today would have been my sister's 10th birthday.

Mirko - :cry:

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

That is sad Mirko.

My condoleances.

[John McClane 1]

Thank you, my friend.

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

I'm very sorry to hear that, Mirko. Condolences to you and your family.

Ray Barnsbury

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

I did not reply to your post the first time I saw it, because frankly I didn't quite know how to respond. Sorry to hear about this.

- Marc

[John McClane 1]

Thanks everybody.

I was feeling to say that yesterday, because every year is the same sad day.

She was born on 13th February 1995, and died 3 months later due a rare genetic disease, on 25th May. I was only 11 years old 10 years ago, but I was deeply hurt from that tragedy. Unfortunately, for my parents, it wasn't the first time they had to suffer such a damn pain.

In 1982, their first son, died after the same 3 months for the same rare genetic sickness. Then I came in 1983, bringing happyness to my family hit by such a wasting fact. Untill they decided to give me a sister...

I can understand Ricard's feelings, losing a dear is never easy. I never knew my brother, since I was born because of his death, they had me for filling that empty left by my bro, but it's like he has always be with me. I'm feeling it. Sometimes I'm alone in my room, posting some stupid thing in this board, and I feel like I'm not alone. Weird sensation. But reassuring too. They're with me. I know this. I like to think they're happy together in a better place, but always with me at the same time. I keep them in my heart, especially my sister.

It's not easy at all to see a 3 months old baby in a small white coffin.

Oh what a sh*tty life. As I said earlier in this thread, recently I lost one of my best friends too. I'm so lucky I've found a great place like this, full of people I can really call friends, even if I never meet (and possibly never will) any of you.

Thanks again everybody for all the nice words, I hope I didn't ruined your day with this sad post.

Mirko

[Figo 2]

I missed this thread the first time around, on account of my dropping off the face of the earth for six months at a time, but I did see the photograph and memorial on the main page. I wasn't sure if it was best to say anything at such a late date and risk reopening old wounds -- and I've never been very good with death, anyway -- but now that a second opportunity has presented itself, I would like to express my heartfelt sympathy to you, Ricard, and to you as well, Mirko.

I'm not a particularly religious man, so I tend to get tied up in knots when wrestling with issues of mortality and the tragedy of the human condition. It is very disturbing to me personally to contemplate why we as a species are granted the intelligence to comprehend the inevitability of our own deaths, as well as of those we hold dearest to us. In many ways it is a curse, but it also teaches us that existence on this earth is fleeting, that we should savor beauty when it comes our way and seize onto that -- and those -- which make us happy. I wonder how much we would achieve without this ticking of the clock, the diminishing sands of the hour glass? Would we really appreciate life?

You are very fortunate, Ricard, in appreciating your father and loving him like a good son while there was still time -- while he was healthy and you could both simply enjoy one another's company. With his passing, you will still have these memories, and they will be a part of you for the rest of your life. I can't say for certain, but it's entirely possible they won't always be so painful to you. You will always miss him, but in time the pain will be diluted by the fondness of your recollections. You may even laugh on occasion or share your stories without feeling your heart constrict.

Love transcends pain. As the years pass, your thoughts will likely be of a bittersweet nature -- nostalgia for the experiences you shared together, but also a certain degree of happiness reliving them in memory and understanding how truly fortunate you both were.

[pixie_twinkle 48]

Those were beautiful words, Figo. And how very true they are. Thank you for sharing them.

[Johnnyecks 33]

Ricard,

Miss you buddy. I wish you and your family the best. My condolences yet again.

I hope you find the plesure knowing that all the friends that you have here, are here because you brought us all together with your site.

Hope to see you back in better spirits soon. I know this is a very rough time for you, but may you start to find some joy somewhere again.

Warmest of regards as always,

Johnny