Thanks, Ron. I have made a few phone calls, but two numbers were disconnected. Left a voice mail with a generic prerecorded greeting. No reply.

Are there any members in or near Knoxville, TN who might be willing to do a welfare check? I have his address so will PM it.

Im about 25 miles or so as the crow flies (as we say here) from Rick. If you PM his address Ill try and get down to check on him.

Scott

It’s with a very sad heart that I pass to you that we’ve lost a very loved member of the PD forum, reverrett123 Rick Everrett passed away this March. With over 3000 posts, many members were concerned when they stopped suddenly. Inquiries, emails, and phone calls went unanswered, so my wife and I offered to do a welfare check on Rick. What we found was the worst news, and a grief stricken wife. She wanted to inform the forum, but didn’t have the courage yet to talk about her loss. Wanda did confide with us over a couple of hours how much Rick and she loved all the members, and White Rats of the forum. She talked of the many friendships made during Rick’s relentless research for the Parkinson’s cure. It was obvious they had a special relationship for many years as she shared pictures with us from years past, and she misses him so very much.

It was very difficult for her to talk about the circumstances concerning Rick’s death, but she felt it necessary to share just in case it could help one of us in the future. I, myself find it very hard to transfer to print the emotions that poured from this woman during the visit, but I’ll try to get the message out that she wanted passed on.

For a period of time Rick was having a more difficult time of getting much “On” time with his current meds. Wanda talked about him having mild hallucinations and how Rick would shake his head in disbelief and say how sinemet will do him in someday. She was blaming herself for not comparing notes with Rick’s nephew, and picking up any clues about Rick’s condition. The hallucinations, mild at first, became more intense. She clearly thinks these were effects of the sinemet and besides the hallucinations, Rick was his normal self. She also believes that sinemet is the reason he took his own life March 6th 2014.

Many of you have known Rick much longer than I have and can add so many things that he did for the PD world. I was always amazed at his research and technical skills and thought he should be a research scientist with a team working toward the cure. However, he fought the battle with a small laptop and loving wife in a small community in Tennessee, and never gave up hope. I appreciate his contributions, and friendship to this forum and me personally. Keep his family in your thoughts and prayers. I will miss him dearly.
ScottSuff

I have no words over how sad and angry I am. That someone could fight so tirelessly, for so little. He deserved better. We all do.

Laura

So very, very sad about this news.

Rick was one of the people on this forum whose voice I treasured, and one of those who helped us reassemble after the big crash of Braintalk some years ago.

I will never forget the despair I felt when it disappeared. Though I had got to know people online, I had at that time never met anyone else with PD. After much searching and weeks of trying to find something, anything about Braintalk, suddenly there was an online message from Rick. It was as though the light had been switched on again.

Supportive, funny and knowledgable, he was tireless in looking for better alternatives than submitting to PD. I can only think the way he chose to go reflects some of this. Nevertheless, like Laura, I am angry at this news, that medicine had nothing to help him, that the always promised and ever non materialising drugs never came in time for him, that the countless millions of dollars and research hours were nothing in the face of the relentless progression that Rick faced.

My thoughts are with his family today, especially with Wanda, who I wish I had known about before, and didn't.

Others will pass this way soon to share their sorrow at this news. Thank you, Scott for travelling out to meet Wanda, and for bringing us this news, for bad as it is, it is not as terrible as not knowing.

Most of all, thank you Rick, for being a good friend and companion on the road we have all travelled, I'll miss you more than words can say.

I am very sorry to see this news about Rick. He and I went back many years, and I am very sad to learn about this loss.

My condolences to his wife, and others here.

My condolences to Wanda, and to all who knew and loved Rick.

I too have known him since the old BT days, and his tireless efforts to investigate new alternatives, and always add some humor were so appreciated by so many.

We will miss you so very much Rick.

I am very sad to hear Rick passed.

I didn't know him personally, but I recognized him and spoke with him a few times on the forums. He was, from what I saw, a very caring and compassionate individual and, as others have mentioned, tireless in his fight against PD.

He was one of the founding members of NeuroTalk, and his presence will be missed for years to come.

I, too, will miss Rick, and wish him and his family all the peace in the world.

DocJohn

I never met Rick, but with his death I've lost a friend, we've all lost a friend

Rick was special. For years he ceaselessly explored Parkinson's. His posts were always written with great clarity and showed a deep sense of humour and humanity. It was the quality of his writing that persuaded me to join the forum in the first place; it was Rick who first replied to my "Hello" post; and it was Rick's posts that I always read first.

Our thoughts go to his family.

We will all miss Rick.

John

I had such a bad feeling when I started this thread (based on his last post) and was so hoping it was a bad computer crash that resulted in Rick staying away. My face would light up when I saw a post from him because it was informative and witty. He would spar without throwing insults.

I am so mad that the science community has not progressed enough in the last 15 years...that so many of us are suffering silently. I hate that we have lost a valuable member of this forum. As I sit here with tears in my eyes, I know that Rick is out of pain. The only consolation. Condolences to Wanda.

I will miss you Rick!