Linda AKA Meek Passed Away This morning

[typhooforme]

You probably know about Meek's love for little hunchback figures she found on Ebay.  The hunchback, in most cultures, was considered "good luck", and many different statuettes were made over the last 200 years (at least that long!).  Meek loved tracking down examples and buying the occasional one she could afford.  We had had fun in recent weeks looking at photos of her beloved hunchback figurines---she had just got the one on the right from a seller in Australia and was so tickled with him as a perfect companion for the other Capodimonte porcelain chap shown here beside him.

Thought you might like to see what had gladdened Linda's heart of late--she took great pleasure in so many things in this world.

[Nightmares in plastic]

I just saw this post after a few days hiatus from the computer and I'm still shocked beyond words.

I had the privilege to meet her in person a few years ago on Chiller through our mutal friend Fritz Frising.
Linda's terrific watercolors were there on display and I admired them ever since. Through the UMA we got
back in contact and she was always helping out when I was looking for certain images, like Wich2 said, she
really was a Giver. I will miss her and I hope she is now chatting with Peter, Dwight and Bela.

My condulences to their family......Rest in peace Meek...

Rainer E.

[Illoman]

My power has been off since Sunday, and I am just now catching up on things, including the UMA. I just read this terrible news about Linda. She and I had been cyber pals for a little while. She remembered my birthday, and I am one of the privileged folks to own one of her originals. She graciously allowed me to post some of her wonderful work on my web site, and if you haven't seen her craft, she was a very talented artist:

http://home.att.net/~illoman/Linda.html

She had a wonderful, wicked sense of humor, and loved a bad pun. May God give her soul rest.

Mike

[fmofmpls]

This has to be the most difficult post I've ever had to type. I left for work this morning thinking of Meek, and I came home thinking of her. Life just isn't fair I tell you. Linda was such an integral part of this group's character that it's almost impossible for me to accept the fact that she won't be posting here anymore. There's a hole right in the gut of this forum. A void that can't be replaced.

Linda impressed me, intrigued me, enlightened me, and even inspired me. She was setting examples all of the time without even knowing it. Small and kind gestures, that many times went unseen, were common fare for Linda. I can't tell you how many times she would send me a "surprise package" right out of the blue. And then there were the greeting cards too. She would always include a note telling me to do whatever I wished with these surprise gifts. One time it was a set of Imperial jigglers. Another time it was various magazines. Of course I cherished them all. Back in March of 2008, I received another one of these Meek mystery packages. This one included two Dick Tracy dolls, a Cracked Monsters magazine, and a crisp $50.00 bill. Inside was a note telling me that the fifty dollar bill was her contribution to the Toy Tour Display. That was Linda -  a giver of all givers.

Linda Miller has passed away, and a slice of this group has too. We'll survive this, but we'll never be quite the same without our Meek.

[avenger]

I think you just spoke for all of us ,General

[Mike Scott]

Here's a link to a gallery of Linda's art.

http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?action=gallery;cat=52

[avenger]

Thanks,Mike.She did some beautiful work.

[mjaycox]

Every heart has in it only so many beats. And often, sadly, the heart that beats greatest and most intensely, does so the shortest.

Meek was kind and generous and talented and truly unique. All are better for having known her.

Matt Jaycox

[Mike Scott]

She did some beautiful work.

When I first saw some examples, I thought I was looking at photographs!

[ThereWolf]

Such sad news.....

I really did not know her, but always enjoyed getting the TCM updates, which broadened my love for classic horror and other genres.

You can tell from the people at UMA that you will be missed greatly.

-k

[HARRY HAMMOCK]

My Lord Iam just seeing this and my mouth also dropped open.I also never met Meek but It was like I had known her for so long.My heartfelt condolences go out to her family.She will surely be missed.Rest well Meek.

[GAKENSTEIN]

Only had the pleasure of Meek's company through this, Terry's Monster Army Camp, and what a talented, intelligent lady she was.  Reading through all the  heartfelt posts, I wish I had corresponded with her directly.  My loss.  Our loss.  God rest your beautiful, monstrous soul, Linda "Meek" Miller.

It is during the sad, senseless moments like this that I start pondering why I bother to collect all this stuff.   It gives me great pleasure, of than I am certain, but...I can't take it with me, and perhaps it might be better to spend the monster money (and time) doing things and going places and building memories with my loved ones instead of building a vast pile of ponderous plastic and paper for them to sort through to sell in a garage sale one day.

Talk me down, fellow troops.....

[Gary D Macabre]

!!!!!!!!!!!!  Punch to the gut!  I just read this now and can't put thought or words together to voice my sorrow and disbelief! 

[Illoman]

It is during the sad, senseless moments like this that I start pondering why I bother to collect all this stuff.   It gives me great pleasure, of than I am certain, but...I can't take it with me, and perhaps it might be better to spend the monster money (and time) doing things and going places and building memories with my loved ones instead of building a vast pile of ponderous plastic and paper for them to sort through to sell in a garage sale one day.

Talk me down, fellow troops.....

Well, it's the "stuff" that drew us all together in the first place. In the end, yeah the people are infinitely more valuable than any of the "stuff". Don't get me wrong, I love my toys, but I love the folks more!

Mike

[Wich2]

Mike, keeping that balance is the secret...

Gary, thanks for the reminder of that wonderful OotMah series by you from The Grand Old Days.

Linda was quite an Anglophile, at least in the area of Letters, and loved Dickens. This from the CAROL just came to me, when I read your words, Terry:

Bob Crachit surrounded by his family, after the death of Tiny Tim -

"But however and when ever we part from one another, I am sure we shall none of us forget poor Tiny Tim -- shall we -- or this first parting that there was among us."

"Never, father!" cried they all.

"And I know," said Bob, "I know, my dears, that when we recollect how patient and how mild he was; although he was a little, little child; we shall not quarrel easily among ourselves, and forget poor Tiny Tim in doing it."

"No, never, father!" they all cried again.

-Craig