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February 24, 2008
The Loss of a Dear Friend and Fellow Geek Member
[Editor's note: I wanted to make sure everyone saw this. Patrick was a long-time reader and an invaluable member of our community here at MetsGeek. Eric and I (and many others) had the good fortune of meeting him last year at Citizen's Bank Ballpark. On behalf of the entire staff and community here at the Geek, I'd like to offer our condolences to the friends and family he leaves behind. Things here won't be the same without him. --Alex] As I write this, it is one of the saddest days I’ve ever had to deal with. The geek has lost one of its own….. a dear friend and my best friend, Patrick O’Keefe (wood). I got the call early this morning. Although I knew things did not look too good, I had hoped and prayed for a miracle. Sadly, that miracle never came. As you all know, Patrick was always optimistic…no matter what. But this week, the last few days, I truly believe Patrick knew what was happening because he was trying to prepare me. To the end, Patrick worried more about others than himself. Nothing ever prepares anyone for this and I will never get over it. Yes, I know the pain will lesson in time, but he will be with me always. Best friends don’t come along everyday. 50 Responses to “The Loss of a Dear Friend and Fellow Geek Member”Leave a ReplyYou must be logged in to post a comment. |
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Our loss isn’t much compared to yours, Metswin, but I just want to say I loved chatting with Wood and will miss him. The “worried more about others than himself” even came across online, which is no small feat.
I don’t know what to say. Metswin, allow me to express my dearest zsympathies to you and Pat’s family. Although I only knew Pat for a short while, I can only say that I admired his sense of optimism and always enjoyed his company on the blog here–even when we didn’t agree on things. To me, I can think of no better thing than to dedicate this season to him. He will be on my mind for sometime.
Since hearing the news this morning, a lot has gone through my head on exactly what I wanted to say. First of all, I’d like to send my best out towards Pat’s family and other friends. I will be keeping them in my thoughts and prayers for a long while.
On a site full of faithful fans, Wood was one of the most faithful. Always the most optimistic about our chances, wood always wore those feelings on his sleeve, or in this case, on his keyboard. To twist some of Tommy Lasorda’s words, Wood had some Met Orange and Met Blue running through his veins.
So I sit in front of my keyboard today, broken hearted, remembering my friend Wood for making me laugh, for making me shake my head at times and for being my friend back. I remember the sometimes irrational love for Steve Trachsel and the debates that those feelings would always conjure. I remember getting to know wood and many others through some of the late night talks we would have after games where we would go deeper into life than we’d normally do.
I will never forget wood and will miss talking to him on metsgeek and via email. I am so fortunate that I was able to meet him last summer in person in Philadelphia. He was actually the first geek, along with Bryan, that I met in the parking lot of the missing link field/cit bank park complex. Everyone had a great time there that day but you could tell that Wood was one of the happiest at the get together. I will always remember that joy.
Goodbye Friend
I’ll never forget his irrational love for Steve the Glacier Trachsel.
I miss him already. I hope he is no longer suffering and is in a better place.
He was a good friend and a great fan. Prayers for his family and his friends.
RIP Wood(Patrick) and I’ll be thinking of you this season.
Metsgeek 2008: Do it for Patrick!
I learned of Pat’s passing this morning when I spoke with Bryan. My heart is breaking. Even as I type this, the tears flow. I know that Pat knew how much we all cared about him and that gives me comfort. We have all lost a dear friend…..none of us feeling it more deeply than Bryan. And the Mets have lost a fan who knew no bounds in his devotion to them.
I am profoundly grateful for the time I got to spend with him on and off line
and will miss him terribly.
May he rest in peace.
I’m deeply saddened to hear the news of Pat’s passing. You can’t discuss Pat without talking about his relentless optimism. He was a tremendous contributor to this website, and I will miss his posting greatly. My prayers go out to his family and friends. We’re here for you, Bryan.
Rest in peace, Patrick. I hope Reyes makes you proud this year, buddy.
Pat cared, and that came through in every comment he posted here. Even when he said something angry or critical, it came from a place of good intentions.
I’m sorry that I never got to meet him, and I’ll miss his presence here. What I’ll remember best about him, aside from his optimism, was how he would often be one of the last people posting late at night when it was just a few of us going over some random baseball stats or just chatting about whatever came to mind. My thoughts go out to his family and friends.
Rest in peace, Pat. You will be missed, but you will never be forgotten.
I am in utter shock and deeply saddened by this. The kindness, consideration and love that Wood showed towards all of us always floored me - and I say that as one who never even met Pat in person, which tonight I deeply regret.
This is a very, very sad day on Mets Geek. I will miss Wood’s eternal optimism as a Met fan but more importantly as a fellow human being. I recall wishing him luck on here before he entered the hospital and, being the brave soul that he was, he shrugged off any notion that he needed luck. That’s what impressed me the most about Woody, his courage could stare down anything.
I will miss joking around with Wood, talking about “babes” and, of course, discussing our mutual devotion to our favorite team!
My heart and prayers go out to Pat’s family and friends - especially to Bryan who related to me stories of how special and important Pat was to him in his own life. I am truly sorry for your loss, Bryan.
There are those rare souls who pass through our lives that teach us important life lessons, even when we don’t meet them face to face. Wood was one of those special people. Rest in peace, Woody. You’re a true champion and you will never, ever be forgotten by your fellow Geeks.
RIP, man. You were a great guy to talk to, Woody. Sorry for your loss, Metswin.
I’ll always remember Woody for the crazy, gibberish directions I gave him trying to get home after GeekDay at CBP last season. I felt so bad.
I am very sorry to hear the horrible news. My sympathies go out to Patrick’s family and friends. When I stumbled upon this site wood was one of the people who accepted me. That meant alot and whenever I was online and I saw his handle I knew I was in good company.
Rest in Peace Patrick!
I would love to chip in for a Citifield brick for our friend. Hopefully metsgeek can organize something.
Wow - what a shocking and terribly sad thing. I never had the pleasure to meet him in person, so I only know him as “wood”. When I first came to this site he was the first one to really make me feel at home here.
There are some people who give off all kinds of weird vibes on a message board like this, but with wood, you could always sense that there was just a really nice, kind of good-to-know person on the other side of the intertubes. I don’t know what to say to console his friends or family except that I mourn his loss too. This little corner of the world will miss him greatly. I hope the Geek can find an appropriate way to dedicate this season to one of its best posters.
reposting from the LinkDump.
i do not know what to say or think.. i am heartbroken… wood (patrick) was a good man i beeter stop typing..
i would like to somehow send a catholic mass card and/or some flowers for the tiny bit of relief it may offer patrick’s family.
patrick is free and healthy amd whole in paradise right now. that is all we know..
if a link to the obituary could somehow be posteed. i think that may be helpful
bcuster…if you email me I’ll put you in touch with Bryan (metswin). He should be able to get you the info.
sheadenizen@aol.com
ok, thank you shea.
Wow. I’m shocked. It injects a dose of reality to this escape we’re all a part of. I didn’t know wood, didn’t know his name until now, didn’t even know he was that sic, but yet I feel for him and those who did know him. It’s hard to realize that there’s a flesh and blood being behind the words and codes on the internet, but every once and a while, life reminds you of its finiteness even amongst the places you inhabit to forget it. God rest your soul, buddy. May those who will come to miss his presence be comforted by the fact that for him the suffering is over. It’s not much, but I offer my sympathies and prayers to all.
I knew he was a “suffering” Mets fan, but I didn’t know he was actually suffering. Strikes and balls, seem trivial now.
I’ve just learned the news about our dear friend, Pat. Like so many of you,I am so deeply saddened. Pat has been a remarkable presence on this board. He was always a kind, gentle and optimistic voice here. I had the honor of meeting him in Philly, and he was so much the heart and soul of that day.
On a personal note, Pat has been a wonderful and stalwart presence to me these past few months as I have struggled with some health issues. He will remain an inspiration.
They say you can’t take it with you, but I know that they’re wrong. All I know is something big is gone.
Rest in peace, gentle soul. And our thoughts and prayers are with you Bryan.
i really am speechless,,,, its a sad day ,,, rest in peace you will ne missed but never forgotten ,,,
patrick and i chatted briefly here on the geek once about touring the notre dame campus and maybe checking out a nd baseball game at eck stadium.
i just got the feeling patrick was sicker than he would ever let on. i was in the military but let me tell you patrick was one brave, courageous soul..
Wow, first of all a prayer goes out to Pat’s family and close friends(including you Bryan) with this awful news, when this happens the the prayers are needed for the living first. May he rest in peace and lobby the big guy upstairs for a Met World Series. Life is truly short and we’re not guaranteed too many days so may we all live with the love, kindness, fun that Pat seemed to have.
The 2008 Mets: For Pat.
all we can do at this point is attempt to offer patrick’s famiy some tiny e-nit of solace. patrick is whole and happy and healthy in paradise. maybe he is praying for us as we pray for him..
When I logged on to the Geek tonight, nothing could have prepared me for this particular posting. Although I am not a frequent poster here, I’ve done a lot of my chatting here during those late night hours when just of few of us were left, and I always enjoyed shmoozing with Wood and hearing his take on things. As noted above, Wood’s ever-present optimistic outlook always stood out, and was a great example for us all. I imagine almost every poster on this site interacted with him at one point or another - and he will missed greatly.
My sincere condolences to his friends and family.
Bryan, thank you for letting us know. I am so very sorry for your loss.
Patrick was a real gentleman, a loyal Mets fan, and a pleasure to chat with here on the Geek. As others have already said, he was one of the first people to make me feel welcome on Metsgeek and he never failed to greet me when I posted. I regret that I won’t get a chance to meet him and I’ll miss him. It won’t be the same here without him.
I do not visit this site often but I stopped by today only to be met with the terrible news. First and foremost I want to extend my sympathies to his family and friends.
Even though we didn’t always agree on what was best for the Mets we were all part of the family of Mets fans. We all share a common bond as a passionate Mets fan and while there may be infighting between us when a Phillies, Braves or Yankees fan approaches we circle the wagons and cover each others back. Today that family has lost a valued member and for that we are incomplete.
Wood was always someone to turn to when things did not go well for our favorite team and a constant source of optimism. He will be missed.
Wood, rest in peace..
wow, i’m also deeply saddened by the loss of woody :( my condolences go out to his family and friends
RIP woody!
While I never had the pleasure of meeting Wood, he stood out on this board as a decent man, and a passionate and well-informed Mets fan. It was always a pleasure to read his posts, and to chat with him. Gone but not forgotten– He will be missed. Wood-Enjoy the view from the skyboxes…
I am so deeply saddened by the loss of one of our own. It is through the posts I’ve read, and the emotions I feel, that I realize that the Geek is so much more than just another blogsite. We are truly a community — nay, a family — one that shares in each other’s triumphs and grieves terribly when one of us leaves before his time.
I never got to know you in person like some others here, Pat, but I certainly do feel the loss.
RIP, Wood. Enjoy the blue ‘n orange from the best seat in the house.
Metswin, I’ve been catching up on yesterday’s posts. You and Patrick were obviously close. My condolences to you, my friend. I’m so sorry for your loss.
Very true. My sincere condolences to Wood’s family and to all his many friends
Words are totally inadequate to express the sadness and sense of loss I feel this morning, having just learned of Wood’s passing. Patrick was an incredibly inspiring individual, never allowing his personal struggles to embitter him, and that same optimistic spirit with which he always approached life was always evident in his passionate support of his beloved Mets. Pat was always a source of unflagging optimism and cheerfulness here at Metsgeek, and his passing leaves a huge void for all who had the good fortune to know him, even if only through this forum.
My heart goes out to Pat and his family and friends. We are all the richer for have known him; the poorer for having lost him.
I’m crushed by this piece of sad news.
My prayers go out to Pat’s family and friends.
RIP Woody
We’re gonna miss you, Wood. Your faith and optimism was amazingly infectious. My condolences to you, metswin.
rest in peace, wood
Wow this news is terribly shocking to me. Wood was one of my first friends on the Geek. I havent been on the site much lately but started to get back a week ago and he was on. It was like seeing a good friend after a long vacation. And in true fashion he was nothing but optimistic and saying how he couldnt wait for the games to begin. You will be missed dearly, Patrick.
Very sorry to hear.
I don’t post out of season. But I do read the site every day.
Rest In Peace Wood.
Hey Bryan, how would you feel about gathering up a bunch of Geeks to go to a game on Pat’s birthday? Some sort of bringing folks together might be a nice way to honor him (though maybe this year would be too soon for those who are grieving?), in light of how welcome he always made people feel here. Just a thought. If it’s lame or tasteless, I apologize; I really don’t have reliable instincts on stuff like this.
It is with great sadness that I offer my sincerest, heartfelt sympathies to Patrick’s family, friends, and anyone who was lucky to have been touched by his spirit.
He will be missed.
I never met Pat, but I am deeply saddened by his passing.I, like others, will miss his eternal optomism.
My condolences to his family and friends.
Rest in peace Wood.
Wow, I haven’t been here in a while and today was the first time I checked in. I am very sad to hear the news about Wood. As most of you know Wood and I clashed quite a few times over quite a few subjects. Of course all of that seems so petty now and I am truly sorry for my part in those arguments. Wood was one of the most passionate Mets fans and he wore his love for them on his sleeve. I would like to send out my prayers to Wood and his family as well as you Metswin. Metsgeek will certainly never be the same but I have a feeling that heaven just got a little livlier. I somehow knew he would find a way to get the last word in. Rest In Peace Wood.
I read every comment and I love hearing what wood meant to everyone. Knowing wood the way that we all did, I don’t think he would want anyone to feel bad about any of the arguments or disagreements that anyone had about the Mets with him. He enjoyed those arguments and disagreements and enjoyed getting that last word in.
Chris, I keep coming back and reading all the posts as well. It helps me get through this.
I’m not sure I can add anything to what’s already been said, but I’d like to extend my condolences to Pat’s family and friends, and hope he’s in a better place.-Aaron
I don’t post as often as some of the rest of you either, but wanted to send my condolances out as well, very sorry to hear. RIP Patrick a.k.a Wood!
This is the hardest time for me at the geek. It’s late night and no wood to talk to about random crap.
I am late to the party but this news is really sad. I will miss Wood eventhough we fought from time to time. He would make me laugh when he decided to attack me for whatever reason. A terrible loss
I never met Patrick, but I feel like I knew him. In my mind I have a very clear image of what he looks like, and even how his laugh would sound. He was a smart guy, a funny guy, generous and faithful, always a pleasure to rap with. He was one of the good ones and I will miss him dearly.
Whoa, I was away from the geek for a bit, but this is probably the saddest thing I ever read on here. Wood was a great guy, a true believer in the mets, he will sadly be missed. Metswin I hope u are alright cause I kno how close u guys were. Im sorry for your loss, our geek loss and for woods family. I know he will be up there in heaven watchin over our mets, and if they win some insane games, id have to believe he had a part in it. Ill deff miss late nights talkin baseball, and anything else with him. U will not be forgotten wood.