Our very good friend Curmudgeon passed away February 5th.
He was a kind and helpful and generous dwarf, and I'm sure we all have stories about how he's helped us over the years. The Moot won't be the same without him with us.
On February 13th, members of the Lonely Mountain Band kinship hosted a memorial in his honor which lasted for hours, with 10 or more bands playing throughout the evening. Close to 100 of Curmie's friends were there for the event. Aedon gave a beautiful eulogy, and I pasted a copy below.
Aedon says,
'Good evening'
"'Missing the departed,'
'and the way they used to smile.'
'Missing the departed,'
'and the fun we used to have.'
'Take away my sorrow,'
'from this broken heart of mine.'
'Where are you now? Do you watch over me?'"
'Words of a song we have heard Miazine sing many times'
'A beautiful reminder of those we had come to love in Middle Earth'
'Who are now forever gone from our company.'
'I will always remember Curmudgeon for his heart'
'And of course, his historically smelly feet.'
'I cannot think of shows passing,'
'Without seeing him come tromping in'
'Moving towards his normal spot along the stables.'
'When I first met him, he was rather quiet'
'Seeming to prefer going about his business unnoticed.'
'I cannot help but wonder now if he was aware of how many of us'
'Turned to watch his arrival, and smiled at the crusty looking dwarf.'
'As he opened up to those that gathered around the bands of Bree'
'His true nature shone out,'
'You could not help but like the old Curmudgeon.'
'As time went on, I heard stories of his generosity'
'And devotion to those he cared for'
'It was not uncommon for him to swoop in'
'And provide a special pet to someone he knew'
'may never be able to attain it.'
'He helped them question, without thought of reward'
'and in general'
'gave liberally of his time to those he loved.'
'Curmudgeon grew and opened up within the music community'
'Showing his quirky sense of humor as he danced each week'
'While Animal House urged him on singing the beloved,'
'Curmie leave your boots on.'
'His arrivals in the square turned from his walking in to his spot,'
'To his greeting warmly those he saw each week'
'And Curmudgeon became Curmie to those of us'
'Who reveled in the warmth of his company.'
'One look at those gathered here to honor him'
'Speaks not only to the way the community took him to their hearts'
'But also,'
'to the number of friends he could not help but gather to him.'
'A true heart always shines out'
'Even in those seen as alone, or downhearted'
'A good heart reaches out, and gathers to it'
'Those that it may see as being in need'
'of more support than even themselves.'
'Curmie's heart was good'
'And though'
'along with the many others we have lost through the years'
'He has taken the ship into the west,'
'His heart'
'His spirit'
'His sense of caring for others'
'Will remain with us not only here'
'But far outside the confines of Bree Square.'
'For those of you who still have a set of Stoor’s boots'
'I ask that you set them in a place of honor in your homes'
'In remembrance of our friend'
'And if we are lucky'
'In the wee hours of the morning,'
'When the pain of his passing rests heavily on our hearts'
'We will catch a glimpse of him dancing in the square'
'And know that the essence of who he was'
'The heart of the dancing dwarf'
'The friend that would do most anything for you'
'Will forever be with us, and urge us to do as he did'
'And take care of one another.'
'I would like to close with a quote from one of his favorite writings'
'“when tired at last, he sat on the bank,'
'while the river still chattered on to him,'
'a babbling procession of the best stories in the world,'
'sent from the heart of the earth'
'to be told at last to the insatiable sea.”'
'― Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows'
Aedon says, 'to Curmie'
----------
The bands that played were as follows:
Disenchanted
Greenstone
Displaced
Grayhawke Company
Bright Star
Les Beau Chapeaux
Mardi Gras Party
Andon on with Eulogy
Tales of Valindor Band
Ghost and Roses
HHD
The Teedee's
(And maybe more after the Teedee's)