Bruce Rapson McLennan

Originally posted to an old Tumblelog called the Social Space Station in 2008.

Bruce was one of the good guys. He liked maps and music and coffee and cigarettes and whiskey and technology and Central Otago and photography and the Internet. Bruce liked many other things but I missed the chance to find out.

He died over the weekend.

I am shocked.

I miss him but I’ve missed him for a while. He used to work down the corridor where we would shoot the breeze about the Brian Jonestown Massacre (he introduced me to this band and I’ll be forever grateful), iPods, great British menus, Subarus, glassy icons, type, digital photography, buildings and bush (me) versus barren-rock-strewn landscapes (him) … pretty much anything, anytime.

His dry, mischevious humour was precise and witty but you had to be quick else you missed these softly delivered remarks. The moderation of the tone barely concealed the stength of the bite they often comprised. Funny.

He was dedicated to morning tea which was good because he liked espresso alot. We talked about the qualities of good espresso many times; strength and purity is key! A short-walk and a cigarette around the School of Business always followed.

He moved out of here a few months ago to a new job. He liked maps and technology so a GIS career was a perfect fit. A cruel irony then this turn of events. We planned to keep in touch despite the physical separation but our conversations tailed off (despite our mutual use of multiplex communication). Sadly.

I saw him for the last time about two weeks ago. He seemed relaxed and happy; clearly the new job was working out as were opportunities to take more photographs of the Central Otago landscape (he had a healthy obsession with the shist and hills).

He even made a cameo on this website; the only person that has so far. It was his idea. But this is what he did - came up with an interesting idea then with dogged determination worked on it until the result was good and with that perfectionist eye for detail, it nearly always was.

In addition to these thoughts and others, remnants of Bruce’s life will remain through the places and traces he cultivated on the Internet.

These are some:

http://mercatornz.spaces.live.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mercator_nz/
http://www.bikely.com/listpaths/by/mercatornz
http://www.last.fm/user/mercatornz/
http://ma.gnolia.com/people/mercatornz

So long buddy.