Ah, man, this truely is a blow of bad news.
Rich was one of the first to help me through a few difficult smokes when I first started pork shoulder and picnic smokes, if I recall. Yeah, he's been here when many of us were in need of tips, advice, or just a few words of wisdom to build or regain our confidence in our own skills. He's poured out his share of recipes and stories of his successes here, as well, providing plenty of inspiration along the way. I haven't met him face to face, but through his posts alone, he seems to enjoy the simpler things in life...the kind of guy after my own heart.
Huge amount of knowledge, and a great friend to have in your corner. I've been following this for 5 or 6 days, and due to personal losses of my own and the prospect of more to follow soon, I really didn't know what to say...
Hold onto your dreams, my friend, and may Gloria, yourself, family and friends be comforted by each other's words and presence through this difficult time. Continued thoughts and prayers going out to all of you.
Your friend, always...
Eric