It's hard to believe that it's been 5 years since we lost Minnesota Mary.

Seems like only yesterday I heard him
Chiming in to help those seeking aid
Posting gems of wisdom and of courage
Helping out those who seek to find the way

Is it really? I am amazed.

I got the opportunity to meet him in person when he visited Philadelphia. So well educated and such a fine player. I miss him.

Friends:

There is no question that a light went out when we lost our Marty. He was an unusual combination of the uncompromising and the flexible. But, all in all, he was a man and an artist who was thoughtful and questing, always in search of beauty in tone and touch. There is not a single time that I sign-on to our forum that I don't miss his presence amongst us. As a fellow Steinway man, I pray that he is now with Henry, Jr., C. F. Theodore, Henry Ziegler and Paul Bilhuber !

Karl Watson

Ed, he definitely shared his wisdom, and had a real ability to do so in words, which isn't always as easy as it seems.

Philip, yes, hard to believe 5 years have blasted past! Time is merciless.

Rich, I envy you. I wish I had had the opportunity to meet Marty in person. I'm sure he was a character in "real life," someone worth knowing. I numbered him among my friends, but only in this virtual world.

Karl, as always, you say it best!

Yes, Karl ALWAYS says it best!

Marty was a gem.

I miss him too. Always enjoyed his posts and his sense of humor.

Thanks for remembering, Ret.
I have a difficult time dealing with death.
Prayers to him.

Marty was truly one of a kind.
Especially 'kind'. A commodity less encountered these days....
One of the greatest here ever.
Never to be forgotten.
Lucky, he's in a much better place now...RIP Marty!!
Norbert

I have saved some old PMs from Marty.

Me too.

Me too, but I guess I'm getting to that point in life where it's more common.

We lost Marty in '14.

I lost a brother in '12.
Lost my dad in '13.
Lost my wife in '17.

Definitely!

I wonder if Marty and Mrs. Retsacnal have met...

When we entered the hospice center where she spent her last two weeks, there was a Yamaha C3 in the lobby. She made a funny comment in that moment...having just arrived in an ambulance and passing by on a gurney...that she would like to take lessons!

To state the obvious, it wasn't the time to start lessons. She'd already been struggling with bouts of delirium, and it quickly occurred to me that she probably meant that she would have liked to have taken lessons in her lifetime. At some point in those next 15 days she made me promise to resume lessons myself (and I have).

She used to tease me that I spent so much time on Piano World that I must be on the board of directors! She'd sometimes ask me what I was typing so frantically about, or laughing about, so I tell her so-and-so said such-and-such. So, she "knew" some of you. Anyway, I'm sure she'd like to meet a PW friend.

Perhaps Marty is teaching her to play!

R:
Your last is just lovely - really lovely.
Karl

Terribly sorry to hear that, Ret.
Prayers to your family.

He would love that!

Thanks, Karl! That really means a lot. Sorry I missed it the other day. I had actually been wondering if I ought to come back and apologize for my maudlin commentary.

I've been in a melancholy mood. Last month would have been our tenth anniversary (we met a little later in life). Instead we're marking the second anniversary of her passing. So, I've got these sorts of things on my mind.

Grief is not all bad, though. In fact, it's what put me in the mood to check on Marty, and I realized that it had just passed five years.

The old adage says only the good die young, so I suppose I'll be around for a long time...

Anyway, I'm glad some others appreciate my "philosophical" meanderings.

She would too!