Phil

It is with a very saddened heart that I give the members here some very tragic news.

Prowler (Victor) and affectionately known to those who have come to know him very well as “Grumpy” has passed away. He died suddenly on November 24th in his bed. Perhaps “suddenly” would not be the most appropriate word to use as he died from some complications from an injury he received by a very bad fall during the summer which damaged his kidney.

I was made aware of his demise by Lua who was a close friend to him as I was also. Vic (I’ll now refer to him by his real name) was a dedicated member of the original site years ago called BonsaiWeb. When BonsaiWeb went down Ryan then started a new site called BonsaiChat.org whom many of the members here well remember and are now members here when that site went down and I picked up the reigns and started BonsaiChat. Net.

Anyone who knows Victor know him as being the stubborn Scotsman who had a tough time in holding his tongue and was not one to mince his words. For those that knew him well it was all OK as they knew he had a heart of gold and he was all bark and no bite and would bend over backwards to give anyone a helping hand and any advice he could possibly offer.

Victor and I would talk to each other via GoogleTalk a few times a week and if it were not for him I would have had one hell of a time in getting BonsaiCHAT.net up and going. Last October, November and a good part of December of ’07 we would spends hours talking every day as he helped me out immensely in doing tests on the site while I was constructing it. He was a Godsend and I don’t know what I would have done without him. It’s hard to imagine Victor having the patience of a saint but he did indeed with putting up with my endless calls and asking him over and over again to log on the site long before it was open to take a look at something and do another test for me. It got to the point that he would end up calling me every other hour or so and ask me if I needed more help! Even after all the help he gave to me and this site he insisted on donating $100.00 to the site. I argued with him and told him that he gave more than any donation one could make already with all the help he gave but he would hear none of it. You may have wondered if you looked at his joined membership date how it could have been October of ’07 long before the site was even open. Well, now you have an explanation for that.

After Vic told me about his fall he told me that he went to the hospital and that is how he found out about having done some damage to his kidney. The calls became less frequent and the times thereafter when I did speak to him I could tell something was wrong. He simply told me that it was all the medication that he had to take. He also told me that his visits to the site were less frequent as he could not sit up for any long period of time and was still urinating blood and at times the pain was just too much. After this went on for some length of time I would get on his case and tell him that he has to go back to the doctor and get things checked out. He would have none of it and as I find out now that Lua and also his family told him the same thing. At times talking to Vic when he was not in agrrement was like talking to a wall or trying to shovel fleas….you just ain’t gonna get anywhere! Goddamn stubborn Scotsman through and through. That stubbornness is what led to this useless and untimely death. But stubbornness was the thread and weave of Prowler, Victor and ergo his pet name….Grumps. I would not recognize him any other way nor for that matter would I wish him any other way. That is what made Prowler………Prowler.

Lua pointed out to me today that his last post was November 11th and that it had to do with his ‘ol nemesis the Serissa. I’m sure many of you are well aware of his heated posts when it came to Serissa’s!
It seems all too fitting to me for that to be his last post. Something that always riled up his Scottish blood. God help St. Peter if he gives Victor any problems at the gate of Heaven as I’m very confident that St. Peter will be on the losing end! If and when you ever hear the roll of thunder again you can be well assured that it is simply Prowler having one of his famous “wobblers”. May God Bless Victor Grey’s soul and Heaven will be only the richer and we will all be a little poorer in having lost someone so dear to us all.

~Phil
“It’s hell out there, give them hell back.” – Prowler

Here is Victor’s address for those that may wish to send a sympathy card:

Mr Victor and Kate Gray
Bridgend
Main Street
Fyvie Turriff
Aberdeenshire
Scotland
AB53 8QB

From what I understand is that the funeral will be held this coming Friday 12/05.

In Victor’s memory this site will be CLOSED that day for 24 hours.

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Please, always keep in mind that the typewritten word does not always convey what you wish to say, and to always treat others as you would have them treat you. Think twice-submit once.
I started out with nothing....and still have most of it.
"Its hell out there, give them hell back." ~ Prowler/Victor Gray 12/31/1943 - 11/24/2008

Rick Moquin

Sad indeed Phil, may Grumpy rest in peace

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Bonsai is the journey, not the destination
Bonsai Wonders

AlainK

Fare ye well, lad.

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Alain K.
http://www.rdb45.fr
http://ak2.apinc.org/bdB

anttal63

i am saddened to hear this news,
prowler you will be missed, i only knew you a short time but darn i was really starting to like you. RIP. may god be with you and your family.

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Antonio......
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Joanie

This is so sad. I had a dear friend who also fell, and died of the complications. Everyone tried to convince her that she should go to the doctor, but she refused. She lived her life the way that she wanted to, always independent, and she wouldn't have it any other way. When a blood clot from the injury hit her brain, she passed on immediately... and somehow, it was fitting. She would have been unwilling to live in any way handicapped in her freedom or her life quality.

Prowler was such a kind man, it diminishes us all to lose him. We make a strange connection here, in virtual territory. We meet as strangers, with masks and pseudonyms, guarding our true selves as we struggle to find friends. When we do find those friends, the bonds can be as strong as steel, but are still as fragile as a butterfly wing. And, in the end, when one of our internet bonsai friends pass away, there is even less for us to hold onto, to remember them. Nothing that they actually touched... no memories, even, of their face. It must be unique in the annals of human history... to feel sorrow for someone who only appeared as typed text on an electronic page.

My thoughts are with all of you, his dear friends, and with his family.

Joanie

Pup

God speed Grumps no pain now. We will meet again .
this is for you .
An Exquisite World
Harmony Between
Flowers And Peoples
Hearts.
Now Soar With The Eagles.
Rest In Peace Victor.

PUP

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G, day I live in western Australia I have been trying for the last 20+ years with some success to grow Bonsai. I am a perpetual learner and an advanced beginner

shrimpy

I always valued Victors opinion no sugar coating or Bulls---
You will be missed Grumps

Shrimpy

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If a man is alone working on his Bonsai and he speaks and there is no women to hear him.
is he still wrong ???

Never ever believe anything, Until it has been officially denied:

Ashley Barns

JTGJr25

I may not have known you that well but I do know you made this site a special place. Rest in piece.


Tom

Mattbonsai

This news broke my heart, Prowler was such a nice guy, stubborn but great! He was generous, and had a great personality.

Prowler you will be missed severely! it feels like a support string has been cut from the site, which can not be replaced! Rest well, and please look after the many trees I have sent, and will send your way in the coming years!

Upon Hearing the news, I cried, and I shook like a wet dog, this went on for a couple of hours, along with confusion, and many thoughts wizzing through my head. Yesterday, I only spoke when absolutely necessary and I couldn't get Prowler out of my head, I even told Phil to make my excuses for bypassing the site if my absence was questioned!

Today however, I had time to think (we were putting posts in, which is a slow and lonely job) and I concluded, Prowler wouldn't want us to sob and mourn his passing for days, he would want us to celebrate his life, and help the site to grow and prosper, he was dedicated to the site as Phil has said, and just as dedicated to Bonsai.

These next few weeks will be a hard time for all who knew Prowler, especially with it being the time of year it is, and with the site's 1st Birthday coming up, But we shouldn't think about the end, we should think about the many years we have known him, and what a great support he was to us all, he was, afterall, one of the fathers of our family.

Have Fun in Paradise Victor! Save Me A Few of The Pleasures, That is, if You Can Wait That Long!

-Matt-

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