I am very saddened to announce that our dear friend and fellow Screaming Skulls alumni, Ricvictorian, has passed away. This announcement has been delayed due to my own medical concerns of which I will write about in a separate entry.
Rick was born on Nov. 23, 1957 and passed away on or about Dec. 16, 2013 at the age of 56. He loved life, his friends, his cat Tony and the Buffalo Bills. He was a bachelor all his life, but always on the lookout for that one certain femme fatale that would change his world. Alas, he did not live long enough to find her.
Rick was the consummate collector of all artifacts Victorian. He was fascinated by memento mori in particular and had an extensive collection of hair wreaths and jewellery. His poison bottle collection was superlative. Hearse postcards and funeral paraphernalia decked his apartment walls. Strange taxidermied animals lurked in dark corners. Religious artifacts and uranium glass intermingled on shelves. Rare books and opium pipes lay waiting for a visitor to discover them. His abode was a museum and an art collection and he loved to talk about all of it to anyone who showed an interest in it.
I met Ricky about fifteen years ago where we both worked. We found we liked a lot of the same things and we had a lot of fun sharing stories and trips to various museums and places of historical interest. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of him... and sometimes when I see someone walking along a street that reminds me of him, I get goose bumps up and down my arms. Wherever you are, my friend, I wish you well.
el Presidente
