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RIP Bahamabear

4,894 Views | 19 Replies | Last: 4 yr ago by applemacg4
RegentCoverup
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RIP Bahamabear

In the first month of moving to Waco, it was settling in that I was there to stay. It had been a whirlwind of moving, class schedules and the honest attempts to avoid the two debutante bimbos from my HS who later transferred. I still didn't know anyone. Not anyone cool. I came to Baylor to get the f out of small town hell and to make a fresh start. Living in a dorm seemed like a bad idea.


While killing time in Penland, planning my next adventure or escape, a non-resident of our floor came roaming with some swagger. Judging by his more fashionable clothing and half-days beard, he wasn't the guy that would try to turn me into the Dean of Students or try to convert me to a religion to which I was already committed in the uncomfortable chairs that made up DIG meetings.


He stopped, looked me in the eye and said, "What the hell are you doing?"

"Nothing, you?" I replied.

And without blinking he responded, "Do you want to get some beers?"


It was that fast. Like two gunfighters in a shoot out fast. Grab your wallet and sunglasses, it's time to go. There was a cloud of dust left behind us on that dorm floor as we raced to the parking lot. That's what it was like to be cool in the late 80's, early 90's. If you could size up another person by appearance to determine their suitability for late night beer runs from Penland, you were cool. Those first campus friendships later became introductions, greetings, and welcomes into every other aspect of life and work. Sometimes bad, most of the time good. We still laughed thirty years on about that meeting, in the company of people who could never fully understand

Though we'd known each other may 45 minutes, we scammed our ID's,picked up some beer, and headed to an well-hidden juke joint. I was sort of initiated into the trustworthy crowd of future bankers, lawyers, and business folks that made up Kelly's week night drinking crew. I'm sure some are on this site, but each stayed connected over the next 30 thirty years with Kelly's humor and sincerity.

In the words of our mutual friends, "Bahamabear was a no-bull**** guy," You got the truth from Kelly with no agenda, no spin, no manipulation. It's why, after 30 years, it's easy to recall the fine details of our hilarious first meeting and how we were able to greet each other like long lost friends every time we saw one another. In a world of legalese and digital blur, Kelly was a welcome world of straight talk. After being gone traveling the Earth, seeing him in Waco was like reliving my first days where life changed, and we made every opportunity to connect and help one another in the world.

We texted yesterday and agreed to meet soon, I was messaged today with the news he had passed.

For those who never met him, he was a Baylor fan. He was every bit of us.

He was also an amazing friend. No eulogy can encapsulate the laughter and good times that occur over thirty years of friendship, but his passing will leave an enduring scar.

Kelly made an impact upon all. His personality is irreplaceable. And he will be sorely missed.

Godspeed Kelly.
RIP

And until we meet again.






jdrs
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Sorry for the loss of your friend. Glad you have such great memories.
GShack
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Sorry to hear this. Never actually met him but enjoyed his post when I was premium.

See a thread on premium. Might be a rare time to give access to all.
Grizz Air
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Rest in peace. Im sorry about your loss. He must've only been about 50. Thats too young to die. How did he pass, if you dont mind me asking?
2022 Adopt-a-Bear: Mark Milton #3 CB
RegentCoverup
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Not confirmed yet, probably heart related. Few years shy of 50.

As a student on campus he was like...Ferris Bueller in a sense. Accepted(and respected) by a broad swath of people on campus.
Brian Ethridge
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Staff
He was great from the moment we met on "campus" as well. He ran with everybody and we all had many drinks. Today hurt. 48 is much too young.
Wichitabear
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I'm praying for you. Our Baylor friends, no one can replace them. Strong bonds. God Bless tellmeyouloveme
Sampi82
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Sorry to hear this. I can certainly relate. Lost my best friend just before Christmas last year who I met at Baylor in similar fashion. Lost count how many years we had football season tickets together and he was 2nd to no one in being a Baylor fan. Sounds like he and Kelly were two peas in a pod.
Illinois Bear
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RIP
PartyBear
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I'm sorry to hear of this. The story you posted is a good one. That is way too young to go.
Ashley Hodge
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Staff
Loved all my interactions with Kelly. Great friend to those who knew him in that capacity. Loved the Bears and loyal to anyone who was in this tribe. Yesterday sucked as I dwelt on this loss.
RegentCoverup
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Appreciate all the condolences.

Keep Kelly's daughters first and foremost in your thoughts and prayers. Kelly wouldn't want us to mope around and be weak for him, he'd find a way to give..

Keyser Soze
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TellMeYouLoveMe said:

RIP Bahamabear

In the first month of moving to Waco, it was settling in that I was there to stay. It had been a whirlwind of moving, class schedules and the honest attempts to avoid the two debutante bimbos from my HS who later transferred. I still didn't know anyone. Not anyone cool. I came to Baylor to get the f out of small town hell and to make a fresh start. Living in a dorm seemed like a bad idea.


While killing time in Penland, planning my next adventure or escape, a non-resident of our floor came roaming with some swagger. Judging by his more fashionable clothing and half-days beard, he wasn't the guy that would try to turn me into the Dean of Students or try to convert me to a religion to which I was already committed in the uncomfortable chairs that made up DIG meetings.


He stopped, looked me in the eye and said, "What the hell are you doing?"

"Nothing, you?" I replied.

And without blinking he responded, "Do you want to get some beers?"


It was that fast. Like two gunfighters in a shoot out fast. Grab your wallet and sunglasses, it's time to go. There was a cloud of dust left behind us on that dorm floor as we raced to the parking lot. That's what it was like to be cool in the late 80's, early 90's. If you could size up another person by appearance to determine their suitability for late night beer runs from Penland, you were cool. Those first campus friendships later became introductions, greetings, and welcomes into every other aspect of life and work. Sometimes bad, most of the time good. We still laughed thirty years on about that meeting, in the company of people who could never fully understand

Though we'd known each other may 45 minutes, we scammed our ID's,picked up some beer, and headed to an well-hidden juke joint. I was sort of initiated into the trustworthy crowd of future bankers, lawyers, and business folks that made up Kelly's week night drinking crew. I'm sure some are on this site, but each stayed connected over the next 30 thirty years with Kelly's humor and sincerity.

In the words of our mutual friends, "Bahamabear was a no-bull**** guy," You got the truth from Kelly with no agenda, no spin, no manipulation. It's why, after 30 years, it's easy to recall the fine details of our hilarious first meeting and how we were able to greet each other like long lost friends every time we saw one another. In a world of legalese and digital blur, Kelly was a welcome world of straight talk. After being gone traveling the Earth, seeing him in Waco was like reliving my first days where life changed, and we made every opportunity to connect and help one another in the world.

We texted yesterday and agreed to meet soon, I was messaged today with the news he had passed.

For those who never met him, he was a Baylor fan. He was every bit of us.

He was also an amazing friend. No eulogy can encapsulate the laughter and good times that occur over thirty years of friendship, but his passing will leave an enduring scar.

Kelly made an impact upon all. His personality is irreplaceable. And he will be sorely missed.

Godspeed Kelly.
RIP

And until we meet again.








RIP Kelly

Great story

Side Note: I have a mental picture of you as college version of Don Johnson circa 1988








RegentCoverup
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I wish, hahah! But how funny that you bring that up.

I did have the Miami Vice album in my car when I pulled into Waco and we'd listen to the Jan Hammer theme racing down Lake Shore hahahah

Osouno
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RIP Kelly... good times at Scruffy's, Buzzard Billy's, and my parties......

You will be missed!!

Oscar Ramirez
Alfred Anchorsen
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Sorry to hear this. Wish I'd met him. Bet I would have liked him.
RegentCoverup
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he was a great baylor fan.

And by that I mean when we were in Waco, he'd be with us going toe to toe with any opposing fan that talked trash. In the early days we needed more fans like him, because quite frankly, we sucked. So it would be like three of us, but when the ball got rolling you could find opposing fans that had real problems with losing to us. They had it in their minds they were untouchable and here they had driven all the way to Waco to be told otherwise.

We delivered payback on more than a few occasions to people that initiated it(not us).

We'd lived through the Steele era and fans from other schools would say something derogatory like "you shouldn't be in the Big12."

We gave it all back to em

Btw, if you ever need a comeback for a mouthy fan from an opposing school, just yell "Hey, this guy wants to fight the whole bar!" and point at the opposing fan. So long as you're in Waco, no one will doubt you.
applemacg4
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Enjoyed reading the story, glad you have those good memories to look back on.

Just an aside...almost 1 in 10 men who are 65 won't live to see their 70th birthday. 1 in 4 to see their 75th.

I know we play through the pain but start taking care of yourself early and once you turn around 50 get regular check ups and don't write symptoms off as nothing.
Stranger
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applemacg4 said:

Enjoyed reading the story, glad you have those good memories to look back on.

Just an aside...almost 1 in 10 men who are 65 won't live to see their 70th birthday. 1 in 4 to see their 75th.



I know we play through the pain but start taking care of yourself early and once you turn around 50 get regular check ups and don't write symptoms off as nothing.


To understand what you stated,
A man at sixty-five has a one in four chance of making it to to 75, or one in four chance of not making it?

I'm 70 and am not asking for a friend. What are my chances of making it to 75 or 80?

I'm in good health and my mother is 93 and healthier than me. That should count for something, right?
MilliVanilli
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Stranger said:

applemacg4 said:

Enjoyed reading the story, glad you have those good memories to look back on.

Just an aside...almost 1 in 10 men who are 65 won't live to see their 70th birthday. 1 in 4 to see their 75th.



I know we play through the pain but start taking care of yourself early and once you turn around 50 get regular check ups and don't write symptoms off as nothing.


To understand what you stated,
A man at sixty-five has a one in four chance of making it to to 75, or one in four chance of not making it.

I'm 70 and am not asking for a friend. What are my chances of making it to 75 or 80?

I'm in good health and my mother is 93 and healthier than me. That should count for something, right?
I hope so, please take care of yourself, we need all the time Heaven will allow.
applemacg4
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Stranger said:

To understand what you stated,
A man at sixty-five has a one in four chance of making it to to 75, or one in four chance of not making it?

I'm 70 and am not asking for a friend. What are my chances of making it to 75 or 80?

I'm in good health and my mother is 93 and healthier than me. That should count for something, right?
1 in 4 chance of not making it. In some ways, these statistics can be misleading. It is like saying that every member of the big 12 has a 1 in 10 chance of winning the conference championship. Over a hundred year period? Maybe. Next year? Not so much. The main point of the story here is that we should be aware of these numbers, that 1 in 4 is substantial, and we should probably abandon our illusions of immortality sooner than we do. 45 isn't "middle age" for the majority of people.

There are a lot of things we can do during our lives to put us on the right or wrong side of those statistics. Genetics is also a major player, and it does count for quite a bit. Given your health and family history based on a one line internet post, it sounds like your odds of making it to 80 are better than my odds of making it to 70.
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