Tributes to Bob Czako

From: Marie Cote [SMTP:cote@pegasus.rutgers.edu]
Sent: Monday, April 14, 1997 9:08 AM
To: bmt-talk@ai.mit.edu
Subject: A Tribute to Bob Czako
Dear Bob,
 
I didn't want to be writing this. Ever. I will miss you ever
so much. I reacted viscerally to the news of your passing. I was
thankful that I had a light breakfast, for I experienced a nausea so
overwhelming that I checked to see if someone may have surreptitiously
slipped some syrup of Ipecac or something into my coffee.
 
I so hope that Cathy or your sister read you the message that
I sent you a few days ago. I thanked you for saving my life. It's
quite possible that had you not started that hilarious thread about
the pink flamingoes that I would be in a padded room right now. If
you were too sick to see the message then, I now repeat it so that
from your vantage point you can read it in peace, without all those
tubes and stuff. Thank you, my dear.
 
I want you to know that Cathy will be OK. She loved you SO
MUCH that after this first block of time she'll remember you for
your terrific spirit and vigilant fight against the beast. Then she'll
remember you without NHL. It will come. That dreaded "time" thing
will be involved, but it will come. ...And I know that Hercules will
miss you terribly. He was dumb, yes, but the profound difference of
your absence even he will notice.
 
Oh, how can I forget the "Space Needle" story?? Man, you lived
every day to its fullest. I will dedicate something there at the
Needle when I go out to the reunion in July. I'm not as clever as
you were extemporaneously, but I figure with a few months ruminating
about it, I can come up with something that's suitable. Promise me
that you'll watch for it, OK? I'm not sure how I can get into the
Men's room at the restaurant, but I'll work on it.
 
I want to thank you for all your wonderful private e-mails
that we shared. I kept a lot of them, and referred to them often
when I had some of those "life" questions about which you seemed to
possess an ethereal, almost Tao-esque quality in approaching.
 
Oh, yeah, your serious side showed through your hilarity. How
you managed to do that is beyond me. I guess it was/is your depth of
"humanness". Now, in spirit, you may live on. Please feel free to
inspire me in my writings (they need it lots of times)! The "Cats
are from Venus" composition was so good I nearly peed my britches
sitting here. I told you about my two cats. I read them your post
and my female cat said, "Yep, that's me--the one that just sits there
cleaning myself while the dogs get flipped out by my mere presence!"
 
So, I'm a little bit ticked off at you that I have to write
this. I, though, know that you're in a better place. I just so wish
that the better place were HERE instead of somewhere else. Take care
of yourself, Bob. Please keep them on their toes up there, OK?
 
I'll send Cathy and family a nice card. Rest in peace, dear.
pre-s.: Have they told you where those Keebler cookies _really_
come from yet? My love to you.
 
Marie
cote@pegasus.rutgers.edu
From: Loreley [SMTP:LOR46@aol.com]
Sent: Monday, April 14, 1997 9:56 AM
To: bmt-talk@ai.mit.edu
Subject: Re: Bob Czako passed away Saturday night
 
I hadn't wanted to post before because I didn't know what to say. So many
people have died latelt that I am a complete loss for words. All I know is
that I never knew I could cry so much or feel such emptiness upon learning of
the deaths of people I had never even met. Even though I never had a chance
to correspond, I feel the loss of Don Merriman and Bob Czako in a way I do
not completely understand. They will be missed and their courageous struggle
not forgotten.
 
I have never experienced so much death as I have in the last two weeks.Both
online and on the floor, it seems that not a day goes by without someone
passing.
 
NO ONE should have to die from such a cruel and demeaning illness. It takes
people little by little. But the one thing it cannot rob them of is their
courageous spirit. That is what remains.
 
I am sorry for going on like this but sometimes it all becomes so much. All I
know is that I find strength in knowing that so many beat this monster and
live in spite of it.
 
Loreley
From: Leeora Freifeldt, Israel [SMTP:lora@inter.net.il]
Sent: Monday, April 14, 1997 4:30 PM
To: Robert F. Farmer
Subject: RE: Bob Czako passed away Saturday night
Dear Bob Farmer,
 
I didn't "know" Bob Czako as the rest of the list, my English was never
good enough to understand his (or any other) humor.
The words "my deepest condolences" do not speak for me every time I see
someone has left us. I hate it when Cancer wins. Bob Czako and every BMT'er
deserve to WIN.
I feel your and your wife's personal pain and loss and I don't know how
to comfort you for losing a friend.
I am so happy to read your post when you tell about flying and skiing and
when you write you are in tears - so am I.
I dont know how to "build" the sentence right. I wish I could take some of
your pain away.
 
Cyber hugs
 
Leeora
 
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Leeora Freifeldt
<lora@inter.net.il>
Bone Marrow Donor
Recruiment by Volunteers (to NMDP)
Voice mail (Hebrew) +972-3-565-1606
Fax +972-3-6702468
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From: Blair Wiley [SMTP:bwiley@ibm.net]
Sent: Tuesday, April 15, 1997 11:49 AM
To: bmt-talk@ai.mit.edu
Subject: Bob Czako
Bob Czako was this kind of guy:
 
Around a year and a half ago, when both he and I were posting hot and
heavily, Bob gave me his phone number and asked me to call him, which I
did. He said that he just wanted to hear my voice, and was just curious
about it after having read my posts at the time.
 
I like the kind of person who will get out from behind the computer once in
a while and check things out for himself. Bob was a wonderful, uplifting
guy! He was mostly interested in making others lives more enjoyable and
bright.
 
I'm sure he is still doing this now. This is simply his natural way of being.
 
We will sure miss him here, and I really appreciated getting to re-read
that post about Hercules the other day. Thanks for that! And thanks, Bob,
for so many uplifting moments! We are wishing you many more in return!
 
Love,
 
Blair Wiley
From: Chuck Hart [SMTP:chart@admsec.wwu.edu]
Sent: Monday, April 14, 1997 9:21 AM
To: Robert F. Farmer
Cc: 'BMT-TALK MAIL
Subject: Re: Bob Czako passed away Saturday night
Bob, thank you for taking the time to let us all know. I know each night
I would include in my prayers a plug for Bob. He was, and in a way, still
is, one of the funniest folks I have ever met. Having lunch with Bob and
Cathy was such a treat; I had never met a person who could actually talk
and eat AT THE SAME TIME!
 
He will be missed. I think each of our lives have been greatly enhanced
by his presence. My thoughts are with Cathy and his family.
 
Thanks again.
 
Chuck
From: Ray Senez [SMTP:raysenez@telenium.ca]
Sent: Saturday, May 17, 1997 8:03 AM
To: bmt-talk@ai.mit.edu
Subject: The loss of Bob Czako
Hi Everyone:
 
This post is long overdue,
 
To Kathy, Cathy and the rest of Bob's family, my prayers are with you. I
pray that dear Bob is now watching over you from heaven.
 
I don't think I fully realized the how important bmt-talk has become up
until now. I never dreamed that the death of a man who lives hundreds of
miles from me, whom I have never met, could move me to tears. Thank you
Laurel for making this all possible.
 
Most of you have expressed wonderful things about our dear friend Bob, but
each time I've sat down to write this post I've failed. (hmm MortoCzakophobia)
 
Bob Czako had a great sense of humor, his witty posts are a living testimony
to this fact. But Bob brought us much more than just a good laugh. To me
his musings were always filled with a great passion for life. This is what
touched my heart and helped me to grow through some very difficult moments.
I say grow not get because I believe now that no one gets through cancer.
It's not a tunnel that you pass through, and that once through, is behind
you. Bob's life is fully evident of this. Cancer is something that changes
your life forever. It forces you to deal with your mortality, it forces you
to realize what is REALLY important. Bob helped me to grow, and for this I
will be forever grateful. So in this small way he has changed the world for
the better, and so will live on in our hearts forever.
 
In his dying days I wrote Bob a note of encouragement and I will always
cherish his last last reply.
 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
 
Dear Ray,
 
THANKS!!!
 
Bob
 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
 
God bless all of you
 
Ray

 

Dear Cathy:

Please accept my deepest sympathy on the passing of Bob. Charl passed it on to me because she remembered that I am unsubscribed from the bmt-talk list.

His humorous, educational, inspirational, friendly messages to us, all done with tremendous insight, his hallmark, will be missed among us who have come to know him.

You may not know this, but just prior to our Baltimore reunion in 1996, Bob was lamenting that the hotel was booked solid because I think that he was entertaining the idea of attending. I didn't remember that he was married so I offered to let him use the other bed in my room so that he wouldn't have to worry about not having a place to sleep.

His reply to me was, "I never go anywhere without Cathy." I took that as an expression of his devotion to you rather than a spurning of my invitation.

Sincerely,

John Nesci
MM survivor

I welcome your comments and suggestions.
Bob Farmer - robert.farmer@comcast.net
Last Updated on 07/17/03