Home Distiller

RIP, MR.

Condolences to your family and friends, and thanks for your great work and passion for hobby stilling.

M.R. May you rest in piece. Your work here on this site will live on. Your contributions here inspired me to build. You will be missed.

I quite honestly don't know how I missed the news... I think I had this topic open the other night to read when I dozed off and never actually read the posts...

My sincere condolences to Mash Rookies family... I will be drinking a toast to him in a few hours...

Seems like I've lost at least one person I've known daily for the past week or two... Just read two more obituaries this morning...

I will be driving south to the memorial service today at 1:00 pm PST. I think it will be hard meeting the family members and visiting with them, how and what to say, currently I am deep in thought but I am sure at the time I will be speechless as there are no words that I will be able to find that will be comforting as I am choked up just thinking about our good times together.

Bushman, I think we overlooked your personal closeness to Scott. You have my personal condolences and I'm sure all of our thoughts and prayers are with you as you embark on your journey.

Bushman,

Having recently lost my best friend to a stroke, I understand the heavyness in your heart and on you mind. I dealt with the loss poorly on a personal level, bottling all my grief up until the day of rememberance, and when called upon to speak - I completely lost my composure, blubbered and bawled like a baby through my written notes. David had been my friend and mentor for over 2 decades, and his sudden death simply yanked the run out from under a significant portion of the our lives. His wife came over after and expressed her appreciation and comisserated with me.

Your friend Scott had time to manage his farewells, but his leaving can be no less devastating to those that loved, admired and respected him. He had many friends who'd like to have been able to make that trip with you, and it's great that you can carry our condolances and best wishes to the family.

Have a safe journey, and take care of your salutations to your friend. It's a sad thing to do, but looking back at my own recent experiences, it was necessesary.


Boom

I sent his girl friend an email this morning and her response was "today is a celebration of life and probably a fitting day to have it as it was 2 years today that Scott found out he had ALS". Going to start getting ready for the trip south as I don't want to get caught in traffic with a Mariner game or something and miss spending time with his family and friends.

Bushman,

I have been very quiet on this thread as I always struggle with this part of life. How we continue on as a friend passes. How we try to console the inconsolable part of living. I too struggle with trying to share the right words with those closest to the departed...
Just know that you BEING THERE is speaking volumes to the family and they will long know that you stood with them in some tough grief filled times. Far longer then they will remember the actual words you spoke.. Be Blessed and safe travels...

Bushman:

Thank you Sir, for starting this thread. I'm going to miss Scott's wisdom and passion regarding distilling. I learned a lot from his posts, he was an amazing man, and he brought a different viewpoint to our group.

I'm drinking a spot of my finest in memory of Mash Rookie, he will be missed.

Best regards to you and thank you for representing our members.

The celebration of life today was held at the Masonic Temple, as you would expect it was very casual. As you walked in they had tables set up, a sign in sheet, and food and drinks. Very casual and about 1 hour into the gathering a family member opened it up with a few words and the rest of the time was an open mike for people to share their experiences having known Scott. I had a nice visit with both of his children and gave them my phone number so I can help them try and sell Scott's stillin equipment.
At the celebration it was an interesting mix of people from family members, to curators at the art galleries that carried his artwork, to other glassblowers (mostly ones that learned how from Scott), to members of his yacht club that he belonged to. The fun part is before the sharing of experiences we got to chat with people at our table and after introductions and a few conversations we all pulled out our phones and shared pictures of glass work that Scott had made as a gift for us.

Scott's daughter and son had a chance to read this thread and were taken back by all the kind words you have made and for that I am eternally grateful to this group that I am proud to be a part of!

And should either of them decide not to sell the still and carry on a legacy they are assured every encouragement here

Don't post much just been lurking a lot, and loved the amazing things that he did here on this site. He is going to truly missed. Prayers going out to his family as I type.

I told his son I would come down and teach him to run the still if they want to continue on but before MR was diagnosed with ALS he started the process and became licensed to build commercial stills so he has a 100 gallon copper boiler that is more than his kids need. Anything they want to keep I will help them with anything they want to sell I will help them with!

sad news. Hate seeing the Angel's Share group grow.

RIP Mash Rookie. I'll be tipping a drink to you tonight.

76 posts, that right there says volume's about the love and respect people had for him.

I did not have the honor of knowing him, but have read thru these posts.

He was indeed a blessed Man to have the friends he did.

MR's daughter just sent me an invitation as a gallery in Seattle is going to honor him and his work in August. I will just be getting back from my fishing trip up north and hope I can attend. I know we have a lot of members from the Seattle area so if you would like to have a glimpse into who he was this might be worth attending. For info see image below.

Bushman wrote:MR's daughter just sent me an invitation as a gallery in Seattle is going to honor him and his work in August. I will just be getting back from my fishing trip up north and hope I can attend. I know we have a lot of members from the Seattle area so if you would like to have a glimpse into who he was this might be worth attending. For info see image below.

image.jpg

I'll do my best to be there. Thank you for the flyer.

I"m really sadden by the news.

I messaged MR a great many times. He was very patient at explaining things even though I must have asked up a hundred questions on how he built his the spiral condenser. When my messages went un-replied i knew it was getting difficult for him. My thoughts and hopes go out to his family. I hope they make it through this alright. HD has lost a dear friend and a great mentor.

GM

Very sad news. Tippin one now in a moment of silence

I haven't been here for a long time, I just visited to take a look at the Mash Rookies Daughter's Spiced rum thread for flavoring a new rum, I've used it in the past and liked it a lot, and I saw the RIP picture under his name I didn't know him but i'm so sorry for his family and for everyone's loss.

its been a while since ive been on. i stop in from time to time to see whats new out there. Im sorry to here that MR has passed he was an inspiration to a lot of folks and will be missed by many

I have been gone for quite a while and have just learned of MR passing and am soory to here that, never got to know him but still learned a lot from all his posts. He will be missed by many. I am learning a lot about ALS as my older sister is fighting it right now, it is not a kind illness. OMD

Muggles is easily one of the coolest builds I've ever seen, and MR has helped me tremendously, long after he was gone.

He will continue to help people for years to come, as well.

We all want to leave our mark on the world somehow, MR did a heck of a job of that.

About two months ago I visited the PNW. Bushman showed me around. Great courtesy. He also drove me past MR's house and told me what MR meant to him. That was a great thing to do. Even though MR and I didn't always agree, I loved him for being the creative guy with increadible new ideas that he was. The only sorrow I felt was that I never met him in person.

Regards, Odin.

I am saddened to read this thread. Such a great artist and a wealth of knowledge. We didn't always see eye to eye. Some heated discussions we had. But I actually enjoyed them. Sometimes I need a thump on the head to get me to look in another direction. He wasn't afraid to do it. And I respected him for that.

When ever I see a beer mug or a stainless bowl. I think of his artistic stills and skills.

Very sad loss to the home distilling hobby.