To All my Esteemed Opponents

[Herr Straße Laufer]

Gentlemen, I really appreciate your concerns with my health. I was diagnosed with liver cancer a week ago and it appears to be rather advanced. At this point, it appears that I just don't have the stamina to complete any more games. The lethargy has me staring at the computer rather than diving into the games as I normally would. And Im having trouble remembering who to send what to. As I could not ask for a better bunch of guys to hang out with on the electric battlefield I want to thank you all for a great time. Hopefully I will get stronger down the road and will let you all know as soon as that happens. Keep up the fight, Eric

Guys, I've been trying to find solid evidence to Eric's passing. Louise has not responded and the only thing I could find was this: Eric Memorial

I'm ninety-nine percent sure we have lost Eric. He was in the 173rd Airborne, serving in Vietnam. He was married. He had a large family around him. He lived in California.
I was in e-mail contact him through to May. He had his ups and downs. Hopefully his gaming was a bright spot that gave him good memories to the end. I know he loved his family deeply and they were with him, surrounding him with their love.

I was privileged to have reported dozens of games with him. The exchanges in e-mail, I wish I could have saved. They covered a large gamut of topics that were as varied as his fertile mind and  the individual games we played.

It was an honor to have known him. To have shared all the moments that seem to be so brief a time now. To have had a peek beyond the games we played into the man he was.

He was one of the few I counted as a friend. I will miss him deeply.

Rest in peace. Eric Bonner. Boisforas.

Stand guard at the gates.

Ed Silcox