[MR] OT: Sad News: Uncle John has passed away

[Janie B.]

Please pardon the bandwidth, but I know several people remember him and would like to know.

My uncle, John Yaun, known to SCA friends as "Big John", has passed away just two weeks before his 67th birthday.  He was the middle brother of my three uncles, but the tallest (at 6'6") and largest (at well over 350 pounds) of the three.

Uncle John tolerated our fighter practices and mini tournaments held literally right in his backyard, not to mention the visits to his bathroom.  My property behind my uncles' house was the scene of the Great Air-borne Cod-piece (ask Logan, or better yet, ask Achbar).

Uncle John only attended a few "real" SCA events, but he made quite the impression.  Remember "Bad to the Bone"?

Many moons ago, I was sitting in Uncle John's van when (at that time LORD) Kane O'Shannon walked over to say hello.  Kane had started to lean into the window, when he realized... just... how... BIG... John was.  The look on Kane's face was priceless.  Kane took a large step back and started using a lot of "sirs"...

In the last few years, John had started to work on losing weight.  He was eating better and had lost over 100 pounds.  When we saw Uncle John this past Spring Break, it was obvious to me that he didn't feel "good".  Uncle Lewis (the baby brother, aka "the quite one") reports that John had been in almost constant pain since mid-October.  Last Wednesday John had gone into the VA hospital for an out-patient gastro-intestinal procedure, but the procedure was stopped and the doctors admitted him for observation for his heart.  Uncle Billy (the oldest brother) and Grandma Yaun (their mother, my grandmother) were present with John on Sunday afternoon when his heart suddenly quit.  An autopsy is planned to determine if cancer was indeed the cause.

Funeral arrangements are just being made.  If you would like to know the details, please email me privately (off-list) and I'll keep you informed.  This lap-top, and therefore your email addresses, will be going with me to Charleston later this week.  Please say a prayer for my Grandmother.  

Trying to hang onto the good memories, very sadly, I remain

Lady Gwendolyn Fitch
(Janie B)