To a lot of you, today, February 1, is Super Bowl Sunday. For a lot of people at RF Generation, however, February 1 has a larger significance and poignancy, as we promised never to forget, and always remember a friend who has moved on to brighter pastures.
Three years ago today, Michael Collins, a friend to many, a founder of this site, and the original RF Generation webmaster, was
tragically taken from this earth. Three years does not make the memories subside. The feelings felt, and the emotional response will always reside in the minds of many. Many of us knew Mike personally, and all of you know what he and the other founders created. Mike is truly missed by many, and we will
never forget.
Today is a day where we remember a friend since past, and a friend that many of you never knew you had. Mike may be gone, but his spirit lives on through the memories we have of him and this site he helped create. RF Generation would not have existed without Mike's guiding hand, and this site truly was his baby. We are indebted to Mike for what he helped create.
Mike, we miss you, and while we miss you we know that your spirit lives on. We shall never, ever forget you.
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Well, all I can say is that I wished I knew him, and I really feel for you guys. Hang on, all y'all. It's okay. We miss you Nep.
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Condolences to friends and family of Mike.
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/salute
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It was this sad news on another forum which led me to finding RFGen in the first place. Even then I could see the deep bond and impact he had with everyone on the site. I never got to meet Mike, not even the pleasure of forum banter, but he left enough of himself in the foundation of the community to march on years later and give all of us an indication of how special he is.
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R.I.P. Mike
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I too wish I had the chance to meet him. Rest in Peace.
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A special thanks to Mike for all he did in putting this website together. No doubt his spirit lives on. RIP.
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My condolences, I haven't been here long, but I appreciate all the work done by Mike and all who have continued to maintain the site these last three years.
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I too, never had the pleasure of knowing Mike while he was still with us, but like Tan said, I feel as though I know him just through the site from all the work he put into it. I can definitely tell he put his heart into the creation of the site.
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Didn't know him personally but i can tell that he is a and will always be a great guy. Hats off to you Mike.
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I didn't speak with him that often and never got to meat him, though i wish i had. But i do still think about him fairly often. Its had to believe its already been 3 years... My continued condolences and best wishes to all those who's life he was a part of.
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I'm thankful of Michael's creativity as this website brings me much happiness. A future gift to all that join us ensuring that Michael's spirit will always live on.
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I found out about RFGen after Mike's tragic death, but I've looked back and read his older posts, causing me to wish I found the site earlier so I could have gotten to know him. I'm sure Mike would approve of the fantastic job all of us are doing to keep his dream alive.
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Mike was a very cool guy and a class act. RFG was and definitely still is a reflection of the kind of guy he was. Here's to you Mike!!
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Thanks for all of your kind words about MIke. He truly would approve of the fantastic job you've all done with keeping his "baby" going! He loved this site and all of the members!
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It's great to see that Mike is still being remembered, although I found the site much after his passing it is touching to see the way the community takes the time to reflect upon his contributions.
I remember what he gave the site whenever I log in.
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As a member who joined after his passing I did not have the pleasure to know Mike. With members still remembering another person who for many was just an internet connection just goes to show how much of an impact he must have made while alive.
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I didn't join during the time when Mike was still with us, but after reading some of his posts, he seems like a great person. Though I may have never talked to Mike or even know what exactly happened to him, we'll keep him alive through RFGeneration.
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Thanks Mike...miss you.
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I wish I had the chance to meet him in the sense of getting to know him. I'm positive he was a great guy though.
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It is hard to believe another year has just passed by. I always have a deep regret for only making use of the site's collection tools at the time of joining, otherwise I would have had the honour to chat with him on the forums. The thought of this always gets me down round this time. My thoughts are with his family and those lucky enough to be his close friends.
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I never met him, but being part of Rfgen makes me feel like I knew him. My deepest sympathy to those who knew him well.
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I'm glad to hear that those who never knew Mike feel they get a sense of who he was and what he was about from the site. While there are many traces of Mike around here, those traces don't even begin to tell his story. Mike was truly one of the best men I've ever know and will probably ever meet. He always took everyone's thoughts, feelings, and rights into consideration. Even when he didn't agree. He didn't like a lot of what's been going on in today's society. He couldn't stand seeing people throwing away their minds, hearts, and bodies. He knew more than anyone that human beings are far from perfect. Still it really bothered him to see the way people treat themselves and each other. He wanted better for society as a whole. He was more aware of human suffering than most. He took an interest in the 3rd world and it's people. He payed attention and cared greatly when others would just turn a blind eye.
Going (game) hunting with him was always something special. He took the fullest joy in even the smallest of finds. He thought that every piece of video game history was special in it's own right. He was like a kid in a candy store. He liked to "adopt" the games other folks wouldn't look at twice. With Mike it all mattered. He was always thinking about RFG. Even when he was out to lunch or hunting. Always wanted to improve the site for everyone. To truly make it the best. He was one of those rare people that found beauty everywhere he looked. That much is clear if you've ever seen the photos he took.
You guys can probably tell he was a good friend of mine. I don't claim to have known him as well as his friends from Cinci though we were close. I still to this day just can't work on the site. I worked so closely with Mike on everything that I'm completely lost without him. It isn't the same and it never will be again.
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I miss ya buddy.
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There is no better way to say it than you have Laurel. Mike was in every way the most beautiful person. He had so much life in so little years. I will miss him always and continue to be inspired by him forever.
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I don't think there's much I can say that hasn't been said already.
We miss you Mike, and we will never forget you.
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I never had the opportunity to meet Mike, but I think our actions as a RFG community (such as this thread) pays tribute to his good spirit that he had obviously earned during his time with us. That is a true mark of a leader - inspiring others. Thank you Mike.
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I never had the pleasure of knowing Michael, and it is unfortunate. Thank you, and RIP.
Does anyone know what part of VGB did Michael write? I don't care what anyone says, it's a great book, especially for the first print, and I'm sure Michael's work on it is one of the reasons why I still use it as a reference today.
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never forgotten... like the R-Zone!!
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I never met Mike, seems like I'm in the same boat as some people here. However, I will say that a guy who can create a site like this and be missed by random individuals, even people who never directly talked to him or knew him means he was a remarkable individual. My rememberence won't matter much because of my lack of knowing him, but I'm sure the fact that he IS remembered here, and surely other places, is paramount. I'm sure he'd have been happy to see that so many people, even strangers, miss his presence in one way or another as well as his "baby" thriving so well and continuing to prosper. So, in regard to Mike, I say: Thank you. Thank you for helping to create a unique site and your presence will be missed her by all.
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