In Memoriam: Ann Cecil, 1940-2011
Jan. 11th, 2011 03:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thatcrazycajunIn the summer of 2001, I got invited by ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
mrgoodwraith to give a concert at a little science-fiction convention in Pittsburgh, PA called Confluence. That con remains among my most cherished fannish memories, not only for the marvelous time I had, the good reaction my performance had (thanks, Pete!) and the nifty free T-shirt I got with my name on the back, but also because it was where I first encountered the demoniac guitar virtuosity of the musician now known to the world as Carla Ulbrich's husband (the lucky bastich!), the one and only Joe Giacoio.
And I would never have had this experience, nor would a great many other fans have enjoyed all of the wonderful things Confluence and its parent organization PARSEC made possible, without both having been founded by a Pittsburgh fan named Ann Cecil.
Ann passed away today after losing a long battle with cancer. Randy's journal and this SF Site obituary have more for you to read about this remarkable woman. And I am now deeply sorry I never got the chance to thank her...not only for PARSEC and Confluence, but for giving filk music one of its most talented, funniest and biggest-hearted artists in Randy, whom she brought into fandom—and in the process giving me personally a very good friend as well. ADDENDUM, 7:51p: Now I'm really sorry I missed getting to know Ann; asegoldberg informs us through this comment on Randy's LJ page, we also have her to thank for another, even bigger gift to filk music: jecklar.
If there is truly a fannish heaven, Ann is without doubt there now schmoozing in the con suite with Forry Ackerman, Dave Alway, Greg McMullan and all the rest of our friends in this global community who have gone on ahead. And if she is, and can somehow read this...thank you very, very much, ma'am.
Oh, and Universe? If it's not too much trouble, could you please knock the bloody hell off taking our friends away from us every year right after GAFilk? This ain't funny anymore...not that it ever was. Thank you.
mrgoodwraith to give a concert at a little science-fiction convention in Pittsburgh, PA called Confluence. That con remains among my most cherished fannish memories, not only for the marvelous time I had, the good reaction my performance had (thanks, Pete!) and the nifty free T-shirt I got with my name on the back, but also because it was where I first encountered the demoniac guitar virtuosity of the musician now known to the world as Carla Ulbrich's husband (the lucky bastich!), the one and only Joe Giacoio.And I would never have had this experience, nor would a great many other fans have enjoyed all of the wonderful things Confluence and its parent organization PARSEC made possible, without both having been founded by a Pittsburgh fan named Ann Cecil.
Ann passed away today after losing a long battle with cancer. Randy's journal and this SF Site obituary have more for you to read about this remarkable woman. And I am now deeply sorry I never got the chance to thank her...not only for PARSEC and Confluence, but for giving filk music one of its most talented, funniest and biggest-hearted artists in Randy, whom she brought into fandom—and in the process giving me personally a very good friend as well. ADDENDUM, 7:51p: Now I'm really sorry I missed getting to know Ann; as
egoldberg informs us through this comment on Randy's LJ page, we also have her to thank for another, even bigger gift to filk music: jecklar.If there is truly a fannish heaven, Ann is without doubt there now schmoozing in the con suite with Forry Ackerman, Dave Alway, Greg McMullan and all the rest of our friends in this global community who have gone on ahead. And if she is, and can somehow read this...thank you very, very much, ma'am.
Oh, and Universe? If it's not too much trouble, could you please knock the bloody hell off taking our friends away from us every year right after GAFilk? This ain't funny anymore...not that it ever was. Thank you.
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no subject
Date: 2011-01-11 09:09 pm (UTC)She taught my mom a lot about being in fandom and filk, and by proxy me.
That community that she showed me when I was a little girl was part of the push that got me to push to make Conflikt happen.
I am saddened more than I thought I could be given the long time since I saw her.