North_Ranger

Frank Bassett, Alberta, Canada

He was the most earnest, genuine person I've ever come across on the web. There is nothing I could say that someone else before hasn't already said more eloquently so I will add this, he will be missed and the world, online and off, is a lesser place for his absence.
 
FYI: Our Category Namer (Tom Brazelton) has sent his condolences. He doesn't remember Mikko well, but was sad to hear about such a loss during this time of year.
 
Kevin from Illinois, USA

It might seem odd for an internet place full of people who never actually met Mikko to consider him a friend. What, though, is a friend? To me, a friend is a person who relates to my enjoyments, listens to my troubles without preconceived notions about me, and can offer honest and respectful discourse as necessary. In that way, then, Mikko was and always will be our friend.

I've recently experienced close family loss myself, and while I can be as angry as I want about the times and experiences I'll never have with them again, I also realize that a person truly lives on in the memories and experiences we did have with them. Remembering them makes it such that they are never gone forever.
 

Dave

Staff member
Couple of notes. First, Mikko's funeral is this Saturday. I'll be on vacation at the in-laws, but when I get back it'll be the right time to unstick and move the thread to the Hall of Fame for remembrance. It'll still be open for comments.

Second, I received a message from Mikko's dad, Timo.

Dear David,
All emails have received ok. Thank you very much your huge work of collection.
Mikko's friend will translate the eulogy and rememberances to finnish.

Have you the memorial words for flowers onto grave?
Flowers, red roses with white eustomas from you, are ordered.

Yours Timo
Basically, they ordered flowers in our name to be placed on the grave, which I feel is a wonderful thing for them to have done. We still don't know how to get them the money we raised. I'm hoping @stienman has some ideas.

My response to him needs a bit of explanation and I hope none of you are upset with me.

For Mikko, who was loved by so many around the world. Rest well, my friend, until we meet again.

Love,
David and the rest at Halforums
The reason I thought some might be upset was because my name is on it, but nobody else's. I did it this way for a couple of reasons. I tried to just put Halforums or Halforums.com as the signature, but that looked too corporate or cookie cutter. I also tried it with a list of names, but as they were going on flowers I didn't think I should put on that many - but then people would be left off. So I did simple and personal and I apologize if you feel it should have been done differently.[DOUBLEPOST=1387313400,1387313321][/DOUBLEPOST]Oh, and even though the threads are available here, I do have all of the ones I sent to Timo in pdf form. Let me know if you want a copy or if you think I should paste them in a thread here. It's quite a lot.
 
Matt Moyer, Florida, USA

I put off adding any of my own words of remembrance here, because I'm terrible with them. I hate to say goodbye, and I feel like whatever words I could come up with would fall short of the meaning I meant behind them.

And then I thought of Mikko, or North Ranger as he was known to us, and I know that if he was still here, he would like anything I put down. Because with him it truly was the thought that counted. And that thought made me smile.
 
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fade

Staff member
He was alive, and that's more than I can say of most of the zombies milling around. He wasn't afraid to show color or emotion and he loved what he liked and didn't seem to mind what he might have hated. In that way he was a blade in a world of cudgels, which suits his interest in martial tradition just fine.

Jack, Texas, USA
 

Dave

Staff member
I have not. And I'm not really going to ask. I figure they are going through enough. If Timo volunteers info I'll pass it on.

Sent from my Event using Tapatalk
 

Dave

Staff member
Moved back to General for a short time. I just received a message from Mikko's dad, Timo. He sent a document about the funeral which I have attached for download. It's about 17 MB so it's kind of big. I'll reiterate what it says here.

Timo said:
Dear David,
included document consists of Mikko's funeral and memorial service.
You can use it all or part of it for information Halforums's members.
We hope, that included links and pictures work properly.

We are very grateful all of your work to collect threads.
If you want something that we can do for you -- please do not hesitate to ask it.

Regards Timo and Leila
The document has pictures of both the memorial and the gravesite in Turku. And just when I thought I was finished crying, he said the priest sang this.

 

Attachments

That is a very beautiful, and fitting, song. Seeing this outpouring, I feel almost ashamed that I did not know @North_Ranger well enough for the song to affect me as deeply as it obviously does so many of you.

--Patrick
 
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