In Memoriam

We Guides, all our Chat Hosts and the Chat Community remember with love Allan Myburgh - BigAlHOST - who passed away November 23, 2003 after a long illness. You can read the brief autobiographical sketch Al wrote when he became a chat host here. Click "Read More" below to read Chat Host Wildstraw's tribute to Allan. Community Member Swan's tribute to Allan can be found here.

A tribute to Allan Myburgh, who died Nov 23, 2003, and served the community as a chat host for three years.

By WildstrawHOST

I am in shock over the loss of my dearest friend. My grief is palpable. He and i were very,very close, as good of friends as if we could reach out and touch one another. had actually come to terms with knowing he was gone a long time ago. Little did i realize he was still among us when i had come to these terms. This is, in fact, the first and only time i was not aware of what was going on in his mind.

Allan was an exceptional man. He was a loving father, a gentle soul tempered by a hard life. He was a chef by trade, a computer wizard that was his first love. He was a private man. A deep man. A caring man. He was the ultimate best friend.

When my mother passed away two years ago, he put a special prayer for her in the West Wall in Jerusalem for me. He even sent me the prayer, which i still have. It is in old hebrew, modern hebrew and in English. I watched him on the Wall cam as he went to put it there.

I've lost a best friend. The hosts have lost a companion in arms. Allan loved this job. He came back to the room when he sequestered himself from the rest of the world. This was his haven.

He asked me to not be sad when he died. That I cannot do. But what i can do is honor this; knew in his heart he would be going to a better place. When i now look at the stars, I wiill see his star burning brightly in the heavens, and truely believe that he IS in that better place.

Allan, I love you and i miss you.

You lit up our lives for such a short time.

brooke/wildstraw