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Mike Lea aka mazeone on #joiito took his own life on Friday. He worked at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. He recently started hanging out on #joiito and was a pretty active participant in our community. I think he spent more time on #unixpunx. The #unixpunx site says that Vixnix talked to his sister who said to pass this on:
mazeone, may you rest in peace...Mike's sisterI wish I could tell you differently, but it is true. He has been very depressed for such a long time. I went down there and stayed with him last weekend and he was just miserable. He did it this past Friday night. He was ready to go. And he's at peace now. I wish I knew what to say. I know you all will miss him, and I know that his irc friends meant a lot to him and he enjoyed talking with you all. He kept trying to get me to go on and meet all the people he enjoyed so much. I'm so glad you all were there for him. I wish it wasn't true either. Feel free to forward this to his irc friends and know that my heart is with you all in missing his wit and him.
Joi and all IRC'ers = I am so sorry and sad to hear this. I have to wonder how we can keep this from happening to any of our tribe again. Using my new eye to cry -- H
What more can I add to what Halley has said? I hope this never happens again. There's some helpful advice at http://www.healthyplace.com/communities/depression/related/suicide_7.asp if you are talking on the phone or chat to someone you think might be suicidal. If you get the call, don't go it alone, get help from a trained person. If you don't know who to call, call directory enquiries and emergency services and tell them you are urgently looking for help for a suicidal person.
Sympathies to all mazeone's relations and friends. - antoin.
Mike and I shared a similar disease and I suppose that was the grounds for our friendship. That and vegetarianism and a love of UNIX.
He'd grown distant. I had tried to reach out to him last week and was met with silence.
I should've know.
I wish I had something uplifting to write. All I can offer is the truth:
I'll miss you, Mike.
Joi, as I wrote on Liz's post, I am so sorry that your shared friend could only find peace this way. He sounds like he leaves behind people who care for him.Sometimes it's just not enough.
My sympathies to his friends and family. Take care.
Ummm... I stumbled upon this post blindly perusing assorted blogs 2nite.
I guess the old cliche is true... "Ignorance is bliss"
All the best.
Oh my God.
Dammit. I'm so sorry.
Damn. That's so, so sad. May he rest in peace.
I was in a trip this week and just read this. I'm totally shocked... :(