The passing of a legend. RIP Joe Dever

[gandalf_t_black]

I am guessing many people here like I grew up with the Lone Wolf books.

I had the great honour of meeting Joe Dever for the first time at the UK Games Expo this year, and was lucky enough to spend about a hour chatting with him.

I have very sad news. Ben Dever posted on his fathers facebook page about an hour ago and I thought I would pass the news on to here as I know Joe worked with Mongoose some years back to bring his books back to us.

Here is a copy of the post. Rest well and thank you Joe.

We are sorry to be the bearers of such tremendously sad news, but our father passed away peacefully at 10:15 yesterday morning. This follows ten years of an illness that he kept secret to all but those closest to him. We appreciate this news may be a shock to many.

He died as he lived - with colossal bravery and dignity - and held by those that loved him. He was working on the final three Lone Wolf books until Monday evening. His thoughts were with his work and thusly his fans until the last possible moments. You meant the world to him, and your loyalty meant everything to him.

It is with enormous honour and great responsibility that these notes for the final three books of the saga, and the legacy of his incredible universe, are passed to us to complete.

Please allow us time to attend to the family, and his personal affairs. We will be in touch via this page and his website with further news about a memorial service, that we hope to arrange for late January. We will share the means by which you can apply to attend, with full details of the time and location of the memorial also.

With love,
Ben Dever & family.

 

[alex_greene]

I've been consoling people on Facebook all night long. He was on my f'list, but we were not close. Some people, however, including a former associate of Mongoose, Charlotte Law, knew him personally and she was devastated.

I've been watching so many professional RPG industry people reacting with shock and sorrow all day. Too many for one man to do more than offer condolences.

RIP, Joe. Like Gary Gygax, Dave Arneson and M. A. R. Barker, another roleplaying legend from the dawn of the hobby has passed on. A truly sad day, and one more victim of this monstrous, cruel and savage year of 2016.

 

[warlock1971]

Very sad to read this post as I grew up on his books. RIP Joe, the gaming community is so much poorer for this loss.

 

[JMISBEST]

Very sad to hear of it. 1 friend of mine is so sad that he got a night in the cells after punching a guy that said the worst thing is that now their will be no Book 29 and later, but me and a few mates avenged Mr D's Honour by getting the guy drunk, persuaded him to chat up his bosses 22 year old daughter, he's 42, and got him sacked, all as our way of avenging the guys dishonour to the great Mister D