Yes, he was a man of his own convictions and passions, and he shared them with a jovial manner. He actually PM'd me a little while ago, and we had a fun exchange. I hope he gets an upgrade in SQ when he gets Upstairs and sets up his new system.
I barely knew him, but am sorry to hear of his death. I'm getting of an age- perhaps many of us are- where friends and family are slipping the mortal coil- sometimes, without the opportunity to say "good-bye" (which isn't easy either). But, as my wife ( the sensibly grounded person on our team) reminded me, it's why you spend time with someone now, in the moment, or reach out to somebody that you know is aging, or you haven't heard from in a while- cherish them while you have them.
On a slightly unrelated but very sad note, I just read on the 'Shark that Mr. Acoustat has passed on. May he rest in peace; he will certainly be missed.