Great American
Erudite, insightful and incisive reader/commenter OldManTyme passed last week, and will be missed. You’ll recognize him in his son Joe’s remarks:
Dad was Boston Irish born and bred. He joined the Marines out of HS and served 4 years including a combat tour in Vietnam. He married my mom while in college earning a degree in Architecture and returned to the Boston area and earned a second degree in business. He worked for a firm on 128 and later started a consulting business. Raised 5 kids and put them all through college. He taught himself to be a pretty good piano player over the years too. He has always been a supporter of the military and one of my brothers is career Navy and served in the Gulf during Iraqi Freedom and has been back a couple of times.
My dad sold out to his partners 2 years ago and was in the process of starting another consulting business related to the thing he loved most after his family which was ice hockey. He has played, coached, reffed, and scouted for the game as long as I can remember. Dad enjoyed great health all his life but when he started to feel a little under the weather at an ice hockey tournament last weekend he returned home early. He appeared to rebound but passed away in his sleep a few days later of a coronary at the age of 62.
My sister who lives locally suspected that he wasn’t feeling himself for at least a year. It’s funny, but I recall her mentioning last week that Dad had talked about old man time catching up to him lately.
He was a great guy to have as a friend and colleague and a greater dad. Dad was also one of the most well read people I’ve ever met on a surprising range of subjects so I am sure that his contributions to your forum were thoughtful and insightful. What you said in your other email is interesting. Dad was a hard headed common sense type of conservative but I would not have characterized him as combative. He was a Massachusetts Republican, a rare bird, and usually kept his own counsel about politics publicly and especially around my aunts and uncles who are anything but conservative. He wasn’t one to take any prisoners when he got his Irish up over someone not using their head privately but generally gave the impression publicly of an immensely competent but quiet and reserved guy.
I do thank you again for the timely responses and also appreciate your kind words. I hope some insight into my Dad’s background does strike a chord with any online friends. It’s been nice to be able to take a little break from things too.
OldManTyme, wielding razor-sharp rapier, did righteous battle at this site with the local trolls, skewering and slicing his way through some of the more rotten, mushier aspects of today’s conventional wisdom. Some examples here, here, here, here, here, and here. A great American, in the best traditions of service to nation, community and family. Condolences to the Tyme family and salutes to the OldMan himself may be left in comments.
Topics: obit
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 10:11 am Comments (9) on Saturday, September 1, 2007
9 Responses to “Great American”
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September 1st, 2007 at 10:24 am
Oh no.
My condolences to OldManTyme’s family. Though I didn’t know him, his posts here told me he was a person of great worth, knowledgeable and full of reason and common sense. I’m very sad there won’t be any more posts from him. He was a warrior to the end.
September 1st, 2007 at 10:54 am
I’d wondered where he’d been of late.
His kindness was apparent as was his passion about his ideas and his view of the world.
His writing was packed. You might have to read a sentence of his a few times to get to the…”oh, yeah, I get that…”
62 years of age seems a bit young.
My best to you and all your family.
September 1st, 2007 at 11:03 am
My condolences to OMT’s family. He will be much missed everywhere.
September 1st, 2007 at 11:57 am
I offer my deepest sympathies to his family. He will be missed by many people who never met him.
I perked up whenever I saw he was active in a thread. His input was not mere conversation; it was as though the gates of knowledge and experience had been opened. He was a modern sage. At the same time he could be hysterically funny when necessary.
I have been archiving the best of Jules’ threads for the last six months with a focus on thoughts of OldManTyme and several other select individuals. I will be referring to his towering intellect and beautiful, clear writing style for years to come.
I know am a smarter person for having crossed paths with Old Man Tyme.
If our high schools and university system in America had a healthy supply of great minds full of real world experience like OldManTyme to teach our young people the way the world works our faltering country could restore itself rather quickly.
September 1st, 2007 at 4:54 pm
Thank you for this beautiful tribute, Jules. I believe I recently gushed a bit to the gentleman about how smart he was. Glad I did. Life is short. A thought that seems to be in the spirit of the many lessons Old Man Tyme endevored to help us learn, and remember, and apply.
Joe, thank you for the stories, they are much appreciated. May the beauty of your memories provide solace to you and your family in this difficult time. Your dad was a lovely voice here. As you can see from the comments, he made a difference. He has been heartening and inspiring. Our thoughts are with you.
September 2nd, 2007 at 2:16 am
Semper Fi, Marine.
Rest in Peace
September 2nd, 2007 at 3:03 am
I always enjoyed his posts. Perhaps we could put together some of his best work in compilation?
September 2nd, 2007 at 3:44 am
I was very sorry to hear of OldMan’s death.
My condolences to his family.
September 4th, 2007 at 7:18 pm
I’ve been away and have only just come to this post. I am very saddened at the news of OldManTyme’s too early passing. We don’t have so many good people that we can easily afford to lose one of his caliber. I found very little with which to disagree, and a lot to learn, from his posts.
My deepest sympathy to his family. And thanks to his son for the brief eulogy. I appreciated it very much.