For The Fallen...

[chefcraig]

Hey...

Lemme tell you something, if you don't mind...losing a loved one is the most excruciatingly awful thing you'll ever endure. It is far worse than all of the crummy meals, bad haircuts, shitty jobs, ignorant people and lousy situations you'll ever deal with combined.

On or around this date in 2011, I lost yet another person, and at this time I'd like to tell you about him. His board name was MAX, in reality a character named Jeremy. I've said before, he was my first friend in cyberspace, but the truth is, his real-life friendship was far deeper than a handful of dopey internet posts. And it was MAX that invited me to join the ARMY in the first place.

It all started over seafood, believe it or not. At the time, I was working for a health food supermarket, and could get a good deal on all sorts of stuff. Jeremy and I started some correspondence when he wanted to get some stone crabs, which lead to hours and hours of side-splitting, hilarious phone calls.

Then all hell broke loose.

In the mid 2000s, I was at my wit's end. Reeling from one divorce (soon to have another), I lost my brother, father, job and second marriage in the space of one calendar year. I was falling apart. During this time, through some despicably intoxicated behavior, I'd managed to alienate just about everyone I knew, finding myself cast adrift. (Fair play and full disclosure: I deserved it.)
My then wife, seeing what a mess I'd become, reached out to the one guy she knew of that would understand me: Jeremy. Through hours of dedicated phone calls and offers of traveling cross country, he helped her (and therefore us) pretty much weather the storm.

Soon after, he and I inexplicably lost contact for quite a while, as he had his own battles to fight in his personal arena.

I got progressively worse as well, ending my marriage completely, chastised at a web site I'd patronized for years, and looking for a place to live while out of my skull with any substance/alcohol available. Out of the blue while at my weakest ebb, once again, MAX came to the rescue. After not hearing from him for a while, he invited me to join a new website he'd help establish. Suddenly, I had a way of getting back on my feet, and his emotional support forever changed me, my attitude and the way I deal with life.

The fucker singlehandedly saved my life, not once, but twice. And just as things seemed to be getting better for both of us, his good health ended with brain cancer, bringing about a slow decline that was kept silent by his family and us, his closest friends for the better part of a year.

The silence ended on June 10, 2011 when he passed away. Like I said earlier, devastating.

I barely knew Chantal, and I only corresponded once or twice with Al. This is to my eternal regret, as I often wonder how much I lost by not making more of an effort to know them more fully. MAX taught me a few very simple lessons, being time is short, never take people for granted and embrace those you care about with all of your heart, ability and passion.


That is how ya live, boys and girls.

Jer, I miss you every single day, and you are never far from my thoughts. And I really believe my Dolphins will give your sorry-assed Broncos a run for the money this season. I wish you were here to contradict me, you bastard.

I love you MAX, and thank you for wasting your precious time on a loser like me. You somehow managed to make me feel less like one, and at times, downright special.

With warm regards to all,
chef

[Von Halen]

Well bro, even though you are a colossal failure, you are now stuck.

You have to survive, for Max.

Did you ever meet Max in person?

I know people from here that are true friends. Some I have met in person, some I have yet to meet in person.

[PETE'S BROTHER]

I remember, every time I would see a post of his I would think "he was fuckin' ecstatic."

[Halen High]

I always enjoyed reading Max's posts. He was an incredibly passionate Van Halen fan and I wish I had met him in person. All the best to his family and friends.

And well said Craig. Keep your chin up mate.

[PETE'S BROTHER]

I remember, every time I would see a post of his I would think "he was fuckin' ecstatic."

"gladiator"

[cadaverdog]

I got to know Max on one of the kindler, friendlier sites that sprung from here a few years ago. He was a really mellow dude that was into civil debate if he disagreed with you. We got into a tiff about Manny Ramirez one time that got his dander up but otherwise we got along fine. Max and Craig were the first people here that more or less accepted me as a fellow Roth fan. I didn't hear much from him after the demise of RothFansII. I remember hearing he was ill, then he was gone. He was a class act. I'm sure his real friends miss him very much.

[jhale667]

All 3 were epic posters, and great people. The place just isn't the same without them.

[Anonymous]

Back when I joined, I found myself in a war that I had no idea was going on. I was instantly disliked by one side & then by the other, all the while having no clue what the fuck was happening. MAX was the first person to become my friend. He told me what was going on, encouraged me to keep posting & we exchanged a LOT of PMs, just talking about nothing in particular.

Over the years, I found myself more & more in The Dump, while Max was mainly somewhere else, so we kinda "drifted apart". But we'd occasionally "meet" & the conversation always flowed... & honestly, when he died, the first thing that popped into my head was "he's gone before us just so he can set up a website or its equivalent where we can all meet afterwards". I think I may have mentioned that.

And I still believe that's what he did. I hope I get the e-mail telling me to register. Cheers, MAX!

Blonddgirl... well, her death hit me pretty hard. I got along with her from the first & she actually did help me with something I was going through in my real life, at one point. She didn't have to, of course, after all, I was just a guy in some website.

But she did. All that & a lot more make me cry a little even as I write this now. I truly loved that girl immensely as a friend, in a way I never thought possible in the internet. And the thing that gets me even more is how proud she was of her Blonddbaby & how that child was robbed of a wonderful mother & an exceptional human being.

Excuse me, a sandstorm just blew into my eyes & I'm choking on a massive candy bar.

Her husband posted here for a while too, & if he happens to read this, well, you're a lucky, lucky man, because you were closer to Chantal than any of us ever were... Cheers, Blonddgirl, Blonddbaby & Blonddhusband!

I never really talked to Al all that much, we may have exchanged a few PMs, but I'd have to check to be sure. So, there's not much I can say about him. But the consensus was that he was a very cool guy & that was when he was still alive, so it MUST be true. Unfortunately, I never really got to know him. But anyway, Cheers, Al!

[Angel]

Back when I joined, I found myself in a war that I had no idea was going on. I was instantly disliked by one side & then by the other, all the while having no clue what the fuck was happening. MAX was the first person to become my friend. He told me what was going on, encouraged me to keep posting & we exchanged a LOT of PMs, just talking about nothing in particular.

Over the years, I found myself more & more in The Dump, while Max was mainly somewhere else, so we kinda "drifted apart". But we'd occasionally "meet" & the conversation always flowed... & honestly, when he died, the first thing that popped into my head was "he's gone before us just so he can set up a website or its equivalent where we can all meet afterwards". I think I may have mentioned that.

And I still believe that's what he did. I hope I get the e-mail telling me to register. Cheers, MAX!

Blonddgirl... well, her death hit me pretty hard. I got along with her from the first & she actually did help me with something I was going through in my real life, at one point. She didn't have to, of course, after all, I was just a guy in some website.

But she did. All that & a lot more make me cry a little even as I write this now. I truly loved that girl immensely as a friend, in a way I never thought possible in the internet. And the thing that gets me even more is how proud she was of her Blonddbaby & how that child was robbed of a wonderful mother & an exceptional human being.

Excuse me, a sandstorm just blew into my eyes & I'm choking on a massive candy bar.

Her husband posted here for a while too, & if he happens to read this, well, you're a lucky, lucky man, because you were closer to Chantal than any of us ever were... Cheers, Blonddgirl, Blonddbaby & Blonddhusband!

I never really talked to Al all that much, we may have exchanged a few PMs, but I'd have to check to be sure. So, there's not much I can say about him. But the consensus was that he was a very cool guy & that was when he was still alive, so it MUST be true. Unfortunately, I never really got to know him. But anyway, Cheers, Al!

I never new Max all that well, but knew DG pretty well. It's tough thinking about him right now because my brother has the same brain cancer. I wish DG was around right now so I could talk to her, tbh. I'm not trying to turn attention to me here, but this is the only place where I can say anything about it. Very few people outside the family are aware of what's going on.

Ah, Blondgirl...what a beautiful soul. There's nothing more than can be said. Pussy, that sandstorm is kicking in here, and thanks for sharing that massive candy bar.

I remember Al mainly from DDLR. Great guy. I don't recall ever scrapping with him....and I was even more of a scrapper then.

Excuse me while I go find a kleenex...

[Dan]

I Have Had The Chance To Meet-Up With 6 Real Life Roth Army Fans From This Site.

I Did Also Talk To Max(Jer) When He Was Not Well.He Was A Great Person,Funny As And Always had Time For My Crazy Phones Call.

What Can I Say About Al(Mick)The Very First Person Who I Spoke To On The "Wall" Here at The Roth Army in 2003.Loved His Sports and Big Van Halen Fan From Way Back.

Blondgirl777(Chantal) Was A beautiful Human Being.She Touched Many Folk Here at the Army.

Flash Barstard,Was Another Funny Guy who I talked To early on In The Roth Army Days.

These Great Young Beautiful People Were Taken Too Early.I Will Always Have Great memories Of Everyone Of Them.

God Bless Them All.

To The Rest Of The Roth Army People,Dont Be Shy,Drop Us A Line One Day.

Roth On.

[flappo]

i knew max fairly well from the old days , he loved gladiator and he loved talking about food , he was a very positive upbeat guy , it's tragic what happened to him , very sad indeed

it's easy to forget that the people on the other side of the screen , the people typing the words you read and the occasional popgear are real human beings with real stuff going on , sometimes not very nice stuff , and they use the net as a way of getting away from it all , a form of escapism , which i can relate to lol

quite a few posters i was e-pals with have passed on over the years - all of their deaths left its mark on me , outlaw at the rb and my psn pal genie1 ( who was murdered - poor guy ) , the reality of the internet hit's home when the finality of death hits you right between the eyes


RIP MAX

[Nitro Express]

Max was familiar with the east bench neighborhood in Salt Lake City I used to live in. I never met him in person but we ate at some of the same restaurants and skied the same ski slopes. Salt Lake is kind of a yin yang type place as mentioned by David Lee Roth and Steve Vai. The greatest religious oppression fuels the greatest rebellion. Max got the concept and seemed to fully enjoy the ripe fruit such a dynamic brings forth. He seemed to love the better bits of what exists down there. It was his home and he loved it. All I can say is Max ate it and smiled.