Naked Science Forum
General Discussion & Feedback => Just Chat! => Topic started by: JimBob on 12/11/2009 17:19:33
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Ethelred Sebastian Kenneth Mountfitchett
February 26, 1953 - November 10, 2009
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I have no words right now - perhaps later -
I love you, man. I will miss you greatly.
11 PM after a trying day.
Eth didn't want a funeral or memorial service. He didn't want nice things said about him and a fuss made. The following would probably disgust Eth no end. I am going to do it because it would.
"Dr. Beaver" is one of the most remarkable persons I have ever know. His passions ware music - and thought. He lost himself in his music and he shone in his clarity of thought. His gift to all of those who knew him was his humor.
From an early age Eth was trained in music, first in a church choir, where he began his studies of classical music. After music school, he then got into rock music. After some time, he decided that he needed to earn money, got his degree in mathematics and computer sciences. It was while working for the British government in a basement full of asbestos-wrapped pipes that he breathed in the asbestos that would lead to his death. He never stopped playing music, though. In addition to all this, he was a gifted linguistic. I lost count somewhere around 8 or 9 languages spoken. He could also read and write Latin. (What a prig!)
I don't know the time-line fully, but eventually Eth decided to move to Uganda and raise bananas. He traveled while in Africa. The 1994 Rwandan genocide occurred while Eth was in Kigali, the capital of the country. He did not like to talk about this experience, nor the drive back to Uganda and his farm.
Later, the bite of a rhinoceros viper nearly killed him. He did make it to a hospital and anti-venom, but the bite damaged Eth's lungs badly and eventually forced him to return to the UK. It was at this time that Eth decided to study psychology. He earned his PhD in Psychology and practiced clinical psychology for a short time. But his lungs were giving out due to the damage the viper venom caused. He lived by programming from home for a good while.
Eth was diagnosed with mesothelioma over a year ago. At first, I was one of the few who knew. Having been through the cancer battle myself, we had one more thing in common and we became even closer. The normal period from diagnosis to death for mesothelioma is about 6 months. Eth was a fighter and he proved the average was not for him. He lived almost a year and a half. He passed away the morning of Tuesday 10th November at Banbury's Horton General Hospital. The person who was to notify all of us was in Germany at that time and we all just found out this morning.
I am pissed that you up and died on me, Beaver. We are going to have words about this in the future, you can bet on that!
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I am truly sorry to hear this news.
My sincere condolences to his family and friends.
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Love and miss you Eth. You were the glue that held us together.
Paul and Anastasia xxx
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I consider myself one of the very lucky few who met Eth a few times. It was my pleasure to see him on Sunday. He spoke of his fondness for all his friends and Jimbob too of course.
He leaves a gap that can never be replaced...the man with an incredible wit and an intelligence that humbled many ....he is a legend. He continues to live in all our memories.
Love ya man
xxxx
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It's a lesson to never put things off thinking you'll be able to do them later. I was hoping to be able to go and meet him soon, as I'm going to be moving not so far away in December. Now of course I can't. He was one of the most interesting people I've had the pleasure of knowing - his music, stories of his racing days, his pet rat! His unique brand of humour will be greatly missed. RIP me old china.
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So sad.
I knew it was on the cards but just never expected it to happen.
Best wishes all his family & friends .
Eth,you will be missed.
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:(
I knew him little, but that was enough to know he was a good man.
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Eth was an inspiration to us all. I'll miss his wisdom, wit and wry use of language.
Condolences to his family and friends.
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To a man who could take pain and turmoil and shine his light on The good things in life and his love for his music and his fellow humans. A man who showed such kindness and concern in his continual studies of Autism and Music..among many, always trying to help others in the face of his own afflictions. Putting aside his own feelings to bring a chuckle and smile to someone in the pit of hell.. me...Tears.. I thank him for all the joy and smiles he gave me in here and in my email box over the years here in the forum...I am grateful for his support when I felt there was none... He Has continuously shown me courage to keep going, and in his parting, has left me a role model and tower of strength to which I will continue to look to in my life here on this earth!
I hope in my learnings here, that the lessons he taught not only me, but all of us here, will live forever inside each of us throughout the forum....A man of many faces,of whom, has seriously left his footprints in all he did in his life....May his path now be easy and his body be free of pain as his life continues on in those who carry Eth in their heart!
May he rise from the flames as the phoenix, a legend to all who knew him...
Love and condolences to all those who loved him....and will continue to do so...
Karen W.
xxxxxx
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(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F%5Battachment%3D10550%5D%5B%2Fattachment%5D&hash=94fb380e986996cc0fe945df882f750b)
http://hubpages.com/hub/The-Legend-of-the-Phoenix
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Goodnight Doc...Sleep well.....
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He will be greatly missed, but we should remember the great things he taught us.
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I never really knew you Dr. Beaver, but Godbless.
My best wishes to your family. I'm sure that you will live on forever in the memories of you and in the value of your work and research.
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Eth was a witty, intelligent, cynical, smutty, parping old bloke with long purple "plupple" hair and eyes that sparkled when he smiled. He bore more than a striking resemblance to Dobby the House elf, which I used to remind him off at appropriate opportunities, to be given a "Fek off H" in return [:)]
He made wonderful coffee of which he was very fond,and collected guitars like most women collect handbags! Of course he 'needed' them all as they all made a different sound...! Hmmm yeah ok Eth! [;)]
The most striking thing about Eth was that he bore his illness, and pain without malice or anger towards the world. He kept positive even when he was in the most tremendous amount of pain, yet whenever I was moaning about any little ache or pain he never dismissed it as trivial.
I thought the world of Eth, and I will miss him always.
Goodnight Eth, sleep well xx
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I grief with his family.
Reading JimBob's second post, he lived his life fully and made the best of the time he's been given on this rock.
As a psychologist, he was probably curious whether or not there's an afterlife for our souls.
He will be pleased to know the answer now.
Niels.
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Who am I going to share Blackadder with now? Who am I going to ask about guitar stuff? Who am I going to pun, FOG and word-play with? Who am I going to ask about physics? Who am I going to turn to for all those things that Eth gave?
He provided so many insights into so many aspects of one's world. I feel as though I have lost more than just a friend.
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I have known Eth for around 8 years, and as with every friendship there were ups and downs, but he was a strong, intelligent and very talented man, who had a heart of gold. He helped me with things not many people believe in, and was always there in a crisis. He was the best friend anyone could have ever hoped to meet.
I intend to follow his wishes to the letter. Will miss him so much, and will never let the memories fade!
Rest In Peace Kenny xxxxxx
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I did in fact just realize this news, and i cried admittedly.
God rest his soul.
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I have only spoken to Eth on a couple of occasions, however, his passion for what he was doing was so great that it affected others to become more passionate themselves. He knew what he was talking about.
My condolences.
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I am left with no words. It is a tragedy for the lot of us.
Dr. Beaver will be around this forum forever.
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As the tears do fall in the rain of my life
They're lost like I am now
Such richness and enrichment you gave to all
You woke us up before the fall
I'd always leave knowing something new
About the world or the life in you
Astonishing teacher and the cleverest of wit
You'd pull us out of depressive pit
The strength you shone it humbles all
You made us feel so very tall
Fighting tooth and nail all the way
And now it's just a rainy day
Withdrawn to the mist of life
This pain I feel I know is shared
With unity amongst your friends
Solace in knowing how you were cared
Guitars on display at every hand
You were an almighty one man band
I felt you wished you had more arms
To play them all at once in charms
Unique is the meaning of Eth
Unmatched in life and peerless in death
But you do live on for I see you now
I do know why but don't know how
Thank you to my special friend
This friendship of course never ends
Amongst us all you were the best
And now at last , my friend, please rest.
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Eth has left a mark upon this forum that will remain within forever
A fond farewell dear Eth a rare man who always had time for everyone
We had some amazing exchanges of experiences both on and off the forum
For which I am grateful to have been able to entertain.
Eth offered to help me set up a web page, even when his health was peppered with problems. Such was his consideration for the needs of others. I could not bring myself to allow him to spend his last few months of life trying to get a noob like me into html. What I took from his offer was far more than a lesson in web design, it was a lesson in the art of humanity, something Eth excelled in.
Jimbob put his life in text eloquently and probably knew him more than anyone.
I will miss his humour and most of all miss many opportunities to laugh aloud at his often disruptive antics “well deserved antics at that I might add”.
I feel so sad to have learned of his passing and will always remember his willingness to learn and question.
May your god be with you. R.I.P. Doctor Beaver
Andrew K Fletcher
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I am sorry to hear of his passing. He clearly touched many people both in life and on this forum.
My condolences to his family and friends.
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I was very sad to hear of this news although we never met. You could tell by his writing that he was a happy soul that had great character and warmth, not to mention his humour as well.
Farewell Dr.Beaver, you will be greatly missed. My sincerest respects to his family as well.
Bernard
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Doc B was a character. He was the inventor of the wobblecam to detect large breasts and he recently claimed that he was actually a giant geranium! He is the second person this year who I knew to be terminally ill, had started to get to know better, but then stupidly neglected because of pressures of work. There is a lesson there for all of us. Characters like Eth are few and far between and are true treasures.
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Very sad to hear of this.
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This is very sad. Although he said he expected the end to come quickly, I did not realise it was this close.
You have entertained and enlightened all of us, DB. You will be greatly missed.
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Thank you, Eth, for your contributions over the years to this forum and to the radio programme, both of which you have helped to mould and shape. We'll miss you.
Chris
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Eth was a true Gentleman who thought of others before himself. Dispite making out that he was a Grumpy old git, he was actually a funny and lovely man. Sorry if we are fussing but at least you have found out that we all felt you needed a fuss making. He has brought a lot of people together that will be friends for a long time. this alone is a fantastic legacy. One that can't be deleted with a mouse click.
So Eth, now you have popped off this mortal coil (Monty Python) you'll know how the parrot felt.
Keep rockin' and goodbye.
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Even thought I was aware of his failing health I am stunted and deeply sad by this news. We exchanged words over internet and connected as if we were sitting together as friends do. Never more or less then totally honest I will miss him but will never forget him.
Rest now in the hand of the precious one
For you are among the stars that drift through time
Bask with soft sent of roses in fullness around you
Hear now the perfect sounds of your hearts desire
and in the stillness of the night I will stop and wait
Hadrian
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I will not cheapen his memory by claiming to have known this clearly brilliant and inspiring man anything like as well as many did on this site, but I can only offer my deepest condolences to his family and friends. His passing will undoubtedly leave a big hole in many lives and, of course, in the foundations of TNS forum.
Rest in Peace, Dr. Beaver.
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Samadhi
By Paramahansa Yogananda
(1893 - 1952)
Vanished the veils of light and shade,
Lifted every vapor of sorrow,
Sailed away all dawns of fleeting joy,
Gone the dim sensory mirage.
Love, hate, health, disease, life, death,
Perished these false shadows on the screen of duality.
Waves of laughter, scyllas of sarcasm, melancholic whirlpools,
Melting in the vast sea of bliss.
The storm of maya stilled
By magic wand of intuition deep.
The universe, forgotten dream, subconsciously lurks,
Ready to invade my newly wakened memory divine.
I live without the cosmic shadow,
But it is not, bereft of me;
As the sea exists without the waves,
But they breathe not without the sea.
Dreams, wakings, states of deep turiya sleep,
Present, past, future, no more for me,
But ever-present, all-flowing I, I, everywhere.
Planets, stars, stardust, earth,
Volcanic bursts of doomsday cataclysms,
Creation's molding furnace,
Glaciers of silent x-rays, burning electron floods,
Thoughts of all men, past, present, to come,
Every blade of grass, myself, mankind,
Each particle of universal dust,
Anger, greed, good, bad, salvation, lust,
I swallowed, transmuted all
Into a vast ocean of blood of my own one Being!
Smoldering joy, oft-puffed by meditation
Blinding my tearful eyes,
Burst into immortal flames of bliss,
Consumed my tears, my frame, my all.
Thou art I, I am Thou,
Knowing, Knower, Known, as One!
Tranquilled, unbroken thrill, eternally living, ever new peace!
Enjoyable beyond imagination of expectancy, samadhi bliss!
Not a mental chloroform
Or unconscious state without wilful return,
Samadhi but extends my conscious realm
Beyond the limits of the mortal frame
To farthest boundary of eternity
Where I, the Cosmic Sea,
Watch the little ego floating in me.
The sparrow, each grain of sand, fall not without my sight.
All space like an iceberg floats within my mental sea.
Colossal Container, I, of all things made.
By deeper, longer, thirsty, guru-given meditation
Comes this celestial samadhi
Mobile murmurs of atoms are heard,
The dark earth, mountains, vales, lo! molten liquid!
Flowing seas change into vapors of nebulae!
Aum blows upon the vapors, opening wondrously their veils,
Oceans stand revealed, shining electrons,
Till, at last sound of the cosmic drum,
Vanish the grosser lights into eternal rays
Of all-pervading bliss.
From joy I came, for joy I live, in sacred joy I melt.
Ocean of mind, I drink all creation's waves.
Four veils of solid, liquid, vapor, light,
Lift aright.
Myself, in everything, enters the Great Myself.
Gone forever, fitful, flickering shadows of mortal memory.
Spotless is my mental sky, below, ahead, and high above.
Eternity and I, one united ray.
A tiny bubble of laughter, I
Am become the Sea of Mirth Itself.
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I'm sorry. I saw this as I was logging out so I logged on to see if there was a memorial here for him. He was a very funny guy, and knew a whole lot of stuff about well, everything. I will miss him too, he was one of those guys, like others here :) that I knew I would read and feel good about.
I don't know if he had a family, but he sure had a lot of people here that liked him, a lot. And I just want to say that I'm going to miss his jokes, ah well, he had some stuff about physics too :) Yep.
But he will live as long as we remember him.
Yoron.
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Your wisdom, wit and humour will remain imprinted on my heart and in my mind forever..rest in peace!
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rest in peace........
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Ethelred Sebastian Kenneth Mountfitchett
February 26, 1953 - November 10, 2009
God bless this mans soul!
We all miss you!
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I will never forget our Eth