Happy Trails, Greenpaw

[Van Squalen]

I really didn't want to be making a post like this for anyone from the Links, much less my best pal here, especially because being the intensely private guy that he was, he'd hate this sort of attention regardless of circumstance, but...I gotta do it. I think he'll understand.

You long timers surely crossed paths with Greenpaw. He was a staple on this website for many, many years. He passed away on Friday. He was diagnosed with a particularly aggressive lymphoma only a few months ago. I just spoke with him on the phone not two weeks ago, and he was hopeful, in getting into an experimental trial thing at the University of Chicago.

He sounded pretty good, actually. But as cancers sometimes skew, it crept up on him with a vengeance, and I only knew he'd been put on a respirator thanks to his wife finding me in his phone and texting me about the change in status.

I'm gutted, despite the fact he and I never met face to face. We missed each other by one night at the pair of 2004 shows at Mandalay Bay in Vegas. But we did communicate frequently over the last twenty years, thanks to Van Halen, and this very website. We sent each other signed bottles of Mad Anthony's sauce (Mike, Tony was an ardent supporter of yours, and was adamant about Van Halen not being Van Halen without your esteemed presence). We sent signed records and bootlegs and demos to each other. We were online together with baited breath when Brett was getting the advance drops of the BOBW new tracks in ' 04. We called each other a few times a year. We emailed frequently, often laughing about the antics of certain Linker posters over the years, more often lamenting the upsies and downsies of the Van Halen machine. He was one of my allies back in the heyday of the Dave vs. Sam flame wars lol. We bashed those Army guys tag team style like it was our bread and butter. He created or found any number of infamous GIFs and memes endemic to the Links, including the flying Walken and the Billy Squier signed banana. I'll never forget his detective sleuthing savvy, in that once upon a time he ended up revealing the subterfuge of a rather infamous Canadian Linker troll kinda poster who'd spouted anti-Sammy rhetoric for years, until Greenpaw found an actual video clip of that same guy front row at a Sam Halen show, rocking out and smiling and definitely not hating on Sammy lol.

He was a huge Sammy fan, no question. I busted his chops for being a KISS fan, and a Crue fan, and generally a hair metal fan, and he busted mine for digging the Doors or Green Day. He helped me with webbie graphics and any number of computer-savvy tasks that I wasn't very versed in. He was a fellow Italian paisan. He used to work in the Sears tower in Chicago and was often lamenting that potentially precarious workplace after 9-11. He was a wise dude, gentle and kind and generous and soft spoken, unlike myself lol. It was Greenpaw who appealed to Brett to let me back in after my banning.

We had planned to finally meet up in person in May for the Best of All Worlds residency at the MGM, but then he got sick, and that was put on the back burner. Come to think of it, maybe I'll still go in his honor and stead, now that I'm forced to consider an honorarium. I can't make the service all the way in Chicago, but I would if I could. I am so sad for his wife, who is heartbroken of course. These sudden exits from nasty out of the blue cancers are heinous fuckery of the highest order. This getting old thing for Generation X, and I'll use one of Tony's most cherished metaphors here, blows goats for quarters.

A perk of ascension to the next world, I think, is maybe you're getting to see Edward Van Halen play again, if Eddie's still doing that sort of thing in those parts of the woods.

Yeah, I know, Anthony. I'm sharing our laundry a bit. You'll forgive me, I'm sure.

I will miss ya. I love ya. You were a good friend. I'll see you in the upper spheres, brother.

- Frank

Yeah, the search goes on
The more I look, my world keeps gettin' smaller
Staring at the sun, searchin' for the light
Almost ended up blind
Some only see what they wanna see
Claiming victory, oh but that's not me
Gimme truth, gimme somethin' real
I just wanna feel
Like it's mine all mine

[Brett]

I have no words right now. He was such a great poster on this website and will be sorely missed. Fucking cancer. May he rest in peace. Awful awful!!!!

[Simon Ribeiro]

Oh, man!

Some really, really sad news.

Rest in peace, Greenpaw.

Descanse em paz, meu caro.

[Jedi McFly]

Aw man that's terrible to hear. RIP Greenpaw. Condolences to the family and you VS. I'm sorry you've lost a friend.

[ZeoBandit]

Horrible to hear. I interacted with him quite a bit on this site and he was always cool to talk with. Cancer sucks. F it.

RIP Greenpaw

[Bad to the Bone]

we used to PM each other all the time a few years ago. He left the sight for awhile but I was glad to see him back a few months back. He was a good guy, loved VH.

RIP

[edwardv]

Another Links legend has left the room. If anyone knows the funeral home so we can post on his tribute wall please post a link or name. Great obituary by VS .....RIP

[Little Intruder]

I didn't know him personally but this community is like family and it breaks my heart any time we lose someone under these circumstances. Greenpaw is now rocking with Edward. R.I.P.

[DJ Work'in Hard]

RIP Greenpaw

[seenbad]

Damn, he seemed like a great guy. Had an incredible amount of posting here that seems to back that up. Only the good die young. RIP Paw

[I Coulda Hada VH]

Life is short. Be kind to others and yourselves.

R.I.P. Greenpaw.

[Little Dreamer]

Terrible news. Always had good interactions with him here. Nice tribute VS.

[Reckless Fable]

Tears.

Greenpaw was one of the best here. A unique and kind person. I'm really sad to hear this.

Rest well, my friend.

[Little Intruder]

For Greenpaw...

[YankeeRose]

I am very sorry to hear Greenpaw passed away. I did notice he didn't post much anymore.

But he was on here a lot in the old days. He sent me a private message wishing me a Happy New Year on here. He was a huge fan of Van Hagar. He also used to talk about being a big Motley Crue fan a lot, he e-mailed me mp3's of new Motley songs in the past, and he loved tons of 80's Hard Rock bands that I also love.

He was also a guy that would help out other people if they needed help. He was one of the good guys that's for sure.

I wish someone would find a cure for cancer.