British fan Chuck Harris died earlier this week. He passed away at home in his favorite armchair. I knew him through his fanzines and later in person. Chuck was a hilarious writer. He was also charming, witty, and a devilish flirt. He and and his great friend Arthur "ATom" Thomson descended on me at the 1987 Worldcon and wrestled me onto a chair so they could pull up my pants leg and see my ankle tattoo, laughing like maniacs all the while. I was too startled to resist. They might have been 60-ish on the outside, but they remained boyish all their lives.
Chuck wrote me a letter of comment on one of my first fanzines, and made me laugh even as he kindly pointed out a couple of errors in my writing style. He saved up funny comments to embarrass me with at parties and conventions. His welcoming warmth and sly humor made me feel a part of British fandom in the 80's at a time when I was more active on that side of the pond. I admired his cleverness and quick sharp wit. He and ATom could break up any audience with their rapid-fire comedic exchanges honed to perfection by decades of practice.
And now they're both gone, ATom a few years ago and Chuck just a few days ago. It's always so sad to lose an old friend. I know his family is probably devastated; a lot of my friends are. But he had a long, full, interesting life. Though age and illness slowed him down a little he never lost his enthusiasm for life, or his wicked sense of humor. He died rich in friendship and love.
We should all be so lucky.
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