NemZ Has Passed Away
Moderator: Board Staff
- Monk Ed
- Sunshine Administrator
- Age: 37
- Posts: 8601
- Joined: Jul 12, 2008
- Location: Chicagoland area
- Gender: Male
NemZ Has Passed Away
Brian Paul Schlitt, known to the EvaGeeks community as NemZ, passed away just over a month ago on April 12, 2017, at age 38. We found out just yesterday when his brother notified us by posting in the staff section using his account, linking us to his obituary. For those of who you might ask, all we know about the cause is that he had "a brief illness" before passing away suddenly in the hospital.
NemZ was always very public about his real identity, so there's no reason to hide it, but because we knew him as NemZ, that's how I'll refer to him.
NemZ has been a fixture of the site for nearly a decade. He evolved considerably over that time: from a rabble-rouser to a moderator; from a self-described libertarian to a self-described liberal; from a graphic artist to a lawyer-in-training (yet still finding time to keep making new banners for us) -- but he was also a man of uncompromising principles, which helped guide each of these changes. And even as he certainly stayed true to his custom title of Token Misanthrope (as we in the community would joke from time to time), he seemed to maintain a jocular attitude about his own jadedness, and an optimistic outlook about his own abilities and prospects.
And for that, I looked up to him -- truly. What does it take in a guy for him to change the entire course of his life at age 37 and join law school like he could have done it any time he wanted? And by all signs, things were going great for him there; the obituary mirrors my own perception when it describes him as feeling that he had found his true calling. And this wasn't his first reinvention, either; he was a high school teacher before he started his graphic design career. He was a habitual, seemingly almost casual, self-reinventer. I say with the utmost sincerity that he is a major inspiration in my own life, his example doing much to assuage the concerns that I've had about starting my career in my thirties.
On the site, I knew NemZ as an argumentative and sometimes frictive fellow who nevertheless never seemed to rub me the wrong way -- which might explain why we got along so well despite our differences. During the first many years of our time on the site, we shared many of the same spaces, but we didn't really "meet" until he sent me a PM greeting me in a characterstically chummy (and politically incorrect) manner on the occasion of our simultaneous induction to the EvaGeeks moderation team. We quickly found our roles in that capacity and became fast friends both on and off the proverbial job, consulting each other often on matters both administrative and personal. It helped that we were both natural night-owls, frequently around when the other was and no one else. I remember many a late-night conversation we had that lasted hours beyond their intended length, because they were just that fun -- because he was just that fun to be with.
I'll miss you, buddy.
NemZ was always very public about his real identity, so there's no reason to hide it, but because we knew him as NemZ, that's how I'll refer to him.
NemZ has been a fixture of the site for nearly a decade. He evolved considerably over that time: from a rabble-rouser to a moderator; from a self-described libertarian to a self-described liberal; from a graphic artist to a lawyer-in-training (yet still finding time to keep making new banners for us) -- but he was also a man of uncompromising principles, which helped guide each of these changes. And even as he certainly stayed true to his custom title of Token Misanthrope (as we in the community would joke from time to time), he seemed to maintain a jocular attitude about his own jadedness, and an optimistic outlook about his own abilities and prospects.
And for that, I looked up to him -- truly. What does it take in a guy for him to change the entire course of his life at age 37 and join law school like he could have done it any time he wanted? And by all signs, things were going great for him there; the obituary mirrors my own perception when it describes him as feeling that he had found his true calling. And this wasn't his first reinvention, either; he was a high school teacher before he started his graphic design career. He was a habitual, seemingly almost casual, self-reinventer. I say with the utmost sincerity that he is a major inspiration in my own life, his example doing much to assuage the concerns that I've had about starting my career in my thirties.
On the site, I knew NemZ as an argumentative and sometimes frictive fellow who nevertheless never seemed to rub me the wrong way -- which might explain why we got along so well despite our differences. During the first many years of our time on the site, we shared many of the same spaces, but we didn't really "meet" until he sent me a PM greeting me in a characterstically chummy (and politically incorrect) manner on the occasion of our simultaneous induction to the EvaGeeks moderation team. We quickly found our roles in that capacity and became fast friends both on and off the proverbial job, consulting each other often on matters both administrative and personal. It helped that we were both natural night-owls, frequently around when the other was and no one else. I remember many a late-night conversation we had that lasted hours beyond their intended length, because they were just that fun -- because he was just that fun to be with.
I'll miss you, buddy.
System Administrator
"NGE is like a perfectly improvised jazz piece. It builds on a standard and then plays off it from there, and its developments may occasionally recall what it's done before as a way of keeping the whole concatenated." -- Eva Yojimbo
"To me watching anime is not just for killing time or entertainment, it is a life style, and a healthy one too." -- symbv
"That sounds like the kind of science that makes absolutely 0 sense when you stop and think about it... I LOVE IT." -- Rosenakahara
"NGE is like a perfectly improvised jazz piece. It builds on a standard and then plays off it from there, and its developments may occasionally recall what it's done before as a way of keeping the whole concatenated." -- Eva Yojimbo
"To me watching anime is not just for killing time or entertainment, it is a life style, and a healthy one too." -- symbv
"That sounds like the kind of science that makes absolutely 0 sense when you stop and think about it... I LOVE IT." -- Rosenakahara
Re: NemZ Has Passed Away
Oh My God. Too young.
I just, don't know how to feel. I mean. I never expect anyone we nerd out with to die, so when they do. . . it's wow. So sad. He was always one of the peacemakers on the forum. I didn't know him that well, so what else can I say?
Death always makes me sad. I hate thinking about it, and when it busts into the area you go to not think about it. Where you go to talk about a Japanese TV show you're a fan of. I'm really depressed he won't be there to see Final with the rest of us.
The forums never going to feel the same without his username popping up in the notification box.
I just, don't know how to feel. I mean. I never expect anyone we nerd out with to die, so when they do. . . it's wow. So sad. He was always one of the peacemakers on the forum. I didn't know him that well, so what else can I say?
Death always makes me sad. I hate thinking about it, and when it busts into the area you go to not think about it. Where you go to talk about a Japanese TV show you're a fan of. I'm really depressed he won't be there to see Final with the rest of us.
The forums never going to feel the same without his username popping up in the notification box.
Re: NemZ Has Passed Away
While I didn't know NemZ personally, we worked together as colleagues here on the site for years. I always held his opinion in high esteem, finding myself agreeing with him more often than not. Even though I joined the moderation team well before him, I kinda disappeared for a while and by the time of my return he was already a much more experienced moderator than I and he had already greatly impacted the forum in ways I could not. I looked up to him, and I enjoyed working with him during all these years. He was another Gendo fanboy I could relate to, and that's hard to come by.
Hearing of his passing was a devastating blow to say the least. It was completely unexpected and deeply troubling for me. Although I never met him in person, or even seen a picture of him online until now, I still considered him family, as I do many of you here on these forums that I've grown up with all these years. He had recently returned to school to pursue a law degree; he had a plan and a future he was looking forward to, and that has now been tragically taken away from him. I'm truly going to miss him and I will continue to think of him every day when I see the multitude of banners he's contributed to our site.
Good bye, old friend. I'll remember you always.
Hearing of his passing was a devastating blow to say the least. It was completely unexpected and deeply troubling for me. Although I never met him in person, or even seen a picture of him online until now, I still considered him family, as I do many of you here on these forums that I've grown up with all these years. He had recently returned to school to pursue a law degree; he had a plan and a future he was looking forward to, and that has now been tragically taken away from him. I'm truly going to miss him and I will continue to think of him every day when I see the multitude of banners he's contributed to our site.
Good bye, old friend. I'll remember you always.
Re: NemZ Has Passed Away
I may not know him, but still, it's sad to hear that he suddenly passed away like that. I saw his username pop on here once in awhile, but I never got a chance to know him. It's one of the sad things in life, where a certain illness or circumstances takes away the life of good people. And what's worse is that some of people never get to achieve their goals, and they never get to experience future events, what they been looking forward to.
So I'm here now, wishing to pay my respects for a good man. Hopefully somewhere out there, he will be watching over his family and loved ones.
May he rest in peace.
So I'm here now, wishing to pay my respects for a good man. Hopefully somewhere out there, he will be watching over his family and loved ones.
May he rest in peace.
Last edited by C.T.1290 on Thu May 18, 2017 8:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
“This is the way”-The Mandalorian
- Reichu
- Admin Emeritus
- Posts: 24046
- Joined: Aug 21, 2004
- Location: Sailing for the white shores
- Gender: Female
- Contact:
Re: NemZ Has Passed Away
Learning about this news was immensely surreal for me. I still don't think I've really processed it, emotionally -- only intellectually. It takes time, I suppose.
NemZ was only about four years older than I am right now. I like to complain about "being old", but that's just acknowledgment of how quickly time passes. There's still the expectation that one in their mid-to-late 30s has much aging yet to do, much life left to be lived. You don't expect to die until decades later. So the sadness surrounding an abrupt tragedy like this has a unique poignancy, and one I've never truly had to deal with before. One month, NemZ was there; the next, and we learn he's been gone, a full stop placed on his very existence. All that remains is what he's left behind. His unique voice will never speak again. It's terrifying to think about. We fear death, and struggle over tens of years to find meaning and leave our mark, but the process could be ended at any moment. And if it did, it wouldn't matter -- not to you, the deceased, because you're dead. I suppose this whole thing has made me a bit existentially reflective; tis human.
NemZ has been part of the scene here for so long that he's engraved in the character of this community, part and parcel of many fond memories. His voice was distinctly his own. He was an intriguing fellow, intelligent and quite funny, with a unique slant on things that he refused to compromise. We didn't always get along so well, due to conflicts in personality and ideological differences, but at the end of the day it was fine -- he never held grudges, so how in the world could I? As a fellow oddball creative type, NemZ was an important source of support for my off-again on-again creative endeavors; his reactions were always interesting. I'll miss him.
NemZ was only about four years older than I am right now. I like to complain about "being old", but that's just acknowledgment of how quickly time passes. There's still the expectation that one in their mid-to-late 30s has much aging yet to do, much life left to be lived. You don't expect to die until decades later. So the sadness surrounding an abrupt tragedy like this has a unique poignancy, and one I've never truly had to deal with before. One month, NemZ was there; the next, and we learn he's been gone, a full stop placed on his very existence. All that remains is what he's left behind. His unique voice will never speak again. It's terrifying to think about. We fear death, and struggle over tens of years to find meaning and leave our mark, but the process could be ended at any moment. And if it did, it wouldn't matter -- not to you, the deceased, because you're dead. I suppose this whole thing has made me a bit existentially reflective; tis human.
NemZ has been part of the scene here for so long that he's engraved in the character of this community, part and parcel of many fond memories. His voice was distinctly his own. He was an intriguing fellow, intelligent and quite funny, with a unique slant on things that he refused to compromise. We didn't always get along so well, due to conflicts in personality and ideological differences, but at the end of the day it was fine -- he never held grudges, so how in the world could I? As a fellow oddball creative type, NemZ was an important source of support for my off-again on-again creative endeavors; his reactions were always interesting. I'll miss him.
さらば、全てのEvaGeeks。
「滅びの運命は新生の喜びでもある」
Departure Message | The Arqa Apocrypha: An Evangelion Analysis Blog
「滅びの運命は新生の喜びでもある」
Departure Message | The Arqa Apocrypha: An Evangelion Analysis Blog
Re: NemZ Has Passed Away
Damn, one of the few people I actually liked here. I'll miss him just for that.
Another jaded man.
Wciąż stoję nieruchomo, w nieżywym już szeregu. Umieram na stojąco, niech inni giną w biegu.
Wciąż stoję nieruchomo, w nieżywym już szeregu. Umieram na stojąco, niech inni giną w biegu.
- pwhodges
- A Lilin in Wonderland
- Age: 76
- Posts: 11033
- Joined: Nov 18, 2012
- Location: Oxford, UK
- Contact:
Re: NemZ Has Passed Away
I have been lucky, at my age, that only one of my immediate circle of friends and acquaintances has passed away. So the unexpected death of someone I felt I knew who was younger than any of my children came as a considerable shock.
NemZ was a considerable character who contributed significantly to the nature of this forum. He held strong views, and could be resolute in defending them against a dissenting majority - his implacable preference for the original form of Evangelion before the addition of EoE and the Director's Cut versions of some episodes was a notable example. I disagreed strongly with some (not all) of his political views, as well. But he didn't hold a grudge, even if his unwillingness to compromise might sometimes have felt that way to some. One of the last private exchanges I had with him on Skype was an enquiry he made after my well-being - I had expressed some disagreement with more frustration than is usual for me, and he wanted to check whether there was some more serious underlying reason.
I will miss him; the forum will miss him. But we have his posts, and the banners which he made us over the last couple of years, to remember him by.
NemZ was a considerable character who contributed significantly to the nature of this forum. He held strong views, and could be resolute in defending them against a dissenting majority - his implacable preference for the original form of Evangelion before the addition of EoE and the Director's Cut versions of some episodes was a notable example. I disagreed strongly with some (not all) of his political views, as well. But he didn't hold a grudge, even if his unwillingness to compromise might sometimes have felt that way to some. One of the last private exchanges I had with him on Skype was an enquiry he made after my well-being - I had expressed some disagreement with more frustration than is usual for me, and he wanted to check whether there was some more serious underlying reason.
I will miss him; the forum will miss him. But we have his posts, and the banners which he made us over the last couple of years, to remember him by.
"Being human, having your health; that's what's important." (from: Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi )
"As long as we're all living, and as long as we're all having fun, that should do it, right?" (from: The Eccentric Family )
Avatar: The end of the journey (details); Past avatars.
Before 3.0+1.0 there was Afterwards... my post-Q Evangelion fanfic (discussion)
"As long as we're all living, and as long as we're all having fun, that should do it, right?" (from: The Eccentric Family )
Avatar: The end of the journey (details); Past avatars.
Before 3.0+1.0 there was Afterwards... my post-Q Evangelion fanfic (discussion)
- Justacrazyguy
- DNA Donor
- Age: 26
- Posts: 2545
- Joined: Jul 06, 2012
- Location: Portugal, Kingdom of Al-Gharbh
- Gender: Male
Re: NemZ Has Passed Away
I don't know how to feel. It's not like I knew him that well or anything, but I've been on this forum long enough that I was used to his presence. And now he's gone, just like that.
RIP
RIP
Nearly all teenage boys are dumbfucks-Xard
É altura de se tornarem pessoas interessantes.- My Classic Culture Teacher
MYANIMELIST-http://myanimelist.net/profile/Justacrazyguy
É altura de se tornarem pessoas interessantes.- My Classic Culture Teacher
MYANIMELIST-http://myanimelist.net/profile/Justacrazyguy
Re: NemZ Has Passed Away
"Surreal" is definitely an apt word here. The forum has lost one of its statesman-level posters. Rest in peace, man.
Re: NemZ Has Passed Away
NemZ sent me a nice greeting after I was dragged kicking and screaming into the staff's secret lair.
RIP, dude. May your banners decorate these pages for many years to come.
RIP, dude. May your banners decorate these pages for many years to come.
- robersora
- Laissez-faire in Moderation
- Age: 31
- Posts: 4437
- Joined: May 17, 2011
- Location: Europe, Austria
- Gender: Male
Re: NemZ Has Passed Away
I'm really saddened about this. I didn't know him too well, but his banners alone made me happy whenever I saw them. Not to mention all of his other contributions.
RIP, Nemz.
This was much too early for you to go.
The saddest part is, that he's not here any more to witness how much we appreciated him... As always, whenever someone has to go, this really is a reminder for me to be more appreciative to all the people I know and love. They are gone much too fast.
RIP, Nemz.
This was much too early for you to go.
The saddest part is, that he's not here any more to witness how much we appreciated him... As always, whenever someone has to go, this really is a reminder for me to be more appreciative to all the people I know and love. They are gone much too fast.
2Q||3.33 _ 神殺しを行う
Decadent Stoned Slacker Socialist
Decadent Stoned Slacker Socialist
- Literary Eagle
- Ireul
- Posts: 656
- Joined: Feb 18, 2013
- Location: Canada
- Gender: Female
- Contact:
Re: NemZ Has Passed Away
I'm really in shock here... NemZ and I had some very different opinions on a number of things, but even still he was always nice to me, and he said encouraging things about my writing as well. I know that his banners made a lot of people happy, too. He will be missed.
My condolences to his family and friends.
My condolences to his family and friends.
The Happy Red Planet (my Evangelion fan fic)
- RadicalRandy
- Adam
- Age: 25
- Posts: 79
- Joined: Jan 01, 2017
- Gender: Male
Re: NemZ Has Passed Away
As a relative newcomer to these forums who lurks rather than posts, I hardly knew NemZ- especially within the same capacity as most of the members in this tight-knit community. Although our time of overlap was brief, I was quite aware of his well-established presence and resounding contributions that he made. I lend my condolences to those that knew him; he will be missed.
"Thunder Cross Split Attack!" - Dire
"I'm just a simple man trying to make my way in the universe." - Shmango Fett
https://www.fanfiction.net/~misterradical
"I'm just a simple man trying to make my way in the universe." - Shmango Fett
https://www.fanfiction.net/~misterradical
- child of Lilith
- Celestial Serendipity
- Posts: 11675
- Joined: Mar 03, 2008
- Location: Egg of Lilith
Re: NemZ Has Passed Away
Rest in peace, Nemz. I never thought I'd have to say goodbye to you so soon. I came in here yesterday thinking that maybe someone had received a ban only to see the news of your passing. I felt like I'd run into a wall full speed. I didn't always agree with you but I always respected your resolve and willingness to stick to your guns even if you had to go it alone. I really admired that about you and it's what made you my favorite mod. Evageeks is never going to be the same place for me now that you're gone.
"Let the right one in. Let the old dreams die. Let the wrong ones go. They cannot do, what you want them to do."- Morrissey, Let the Right One Slip In
"Happy people can be so cruel"- Claudia, Silent Hill 3
"everlasting, true love, I am yours"- Rule of Rose
"Happy people can be so cruel"- Claudia, Silent Hill 3
"everlasting, true love, I am yours"- Rule of Rose
Re: NemZ Has Passed Away
I'm at such a loss for words I haven't been able to say anything since I first saw this announcement. The passing of such a young man is an incredible shock. This is a terrible loss, for this community and for NemZ's friends and family. My deepest condolences.
the prophecy is true
Statistical fact: Cops will never pull over a man with a huge bong in his car. Why? They fear this man. They know he sees further than they and he will bind them with ancient logics. —Marty Mikalski
Statistical fact: Cops will never pull over a man with a huge bong in his car. Why? They fear this man. They know he sees further than they and he will bind them with ancient logics. —Marty Mikalski
- Sicarius VI
- Tokyo-3 Resident
- Age: 24
- Posts: 1149
- Joined: Aug 12, 2014
- Location: United States
- Gender: Male
Re: NemZ Has Passed Away
Oh my, I'm at a loss. I always liked Nem, Rest in Peace man.
My prayers to his family.
My prayers to his family.
"I'm not going there to die, I'm going to find out if I'm really alive." - Spike Spiegel
- CommanderFish
- Shamshel
- Age: 23
- Posts: 266
- Joined: Jul 31, 2016
- Gender: Male
Re: NemZ Has Passed Away
I've always seen NemZ as part of the very essence of this place, ever since I started lurking here; and so it's rather surreal to hear that he's passed. I did not know him well, but he was so unique from everybody else that it did not take long for him to set a very clear impression of himself for me. He is a presence that I will truly miss. My condolences for his family and anyone else close to him.
Rest in peace.
Rest in peace.
"The fate of destruction is also the joy of rebirth"
- KingXanaduu
- DNA Donor
- Posts: 2619
- Joined: Sep 12, 2011
- Gender: Male
Re: NemZ Has Passed Away
When I saw the notice on Evageeks talking about what happened to NemZ, I was literally stunned for words and couldn't really comprehended what I was reading. We often try to prepare ourselves for moments like these, because we explore and discuss many of the deeper issues on the forums, but when this moment finally comes, there's not a way you can prepare yourself for it.
I've known NemZ ever since I first arrived on Evageeks since 2011, and although I didn't see eye-to-eye on some of our topics and disagreements, he wasn't the kind of person to hold grudges or default a person on their beliefs. I could tell he was a person that stuck with his ideals, which was a trait that I admired both in our discussions her on Evageeks, or even off the forums.
I can't believe that he's gone now, it's so surreal to see. I'll miss him. He held a presence here that I won't really forget.
Rest in Peace NemZ, Brian. We'll miss you.
I've known NemZ ever since I first arrived on Evageeks since 2011, and although I didn't see eye-to-eye on some of our topics and disagreements, he wasn't the kind of person to hold grudges or default a person on their beliefs. I could tell he was a person that stuck with his ideals, which was a trait that I admired both in our discussions her on Evageeks, or even off the forums.
I can't believe that he's gone now, it's so surreal to see. I'll miss him. He held a presence here that I won't really forget.
Rest in Peace NemZ, Brian. We'll miss you.
"You're na�ve, Cecil. Even knowing betrayal and despair, you would depend on the whims of others?" - Golbez
---------------------------------------
Sephiroth: "Do you miss the Light?"
Golbez: "Hmph...I merely have duties to fulfill."
Sephiroth: "Too close to the brightness, and you may get scorched."
Golbz:.............
Golbez: Your loss can strengthen you.
"NGE Shinji is broken, Manga Shinji is an asshole, Rebuild Shinji is an idiot. Which is best? Uh, can I get some other options? All of these really suck." -Bagheera
---------------------------------------
Sephiroth: "Do you miss the Light?"
Golbez: "Hmph...I merely have duties to fulfill."
Sephiroth: "Too close to the brightness, and you may get scorched."
Golbz:.............
Golbez: Your loss can strengthen you.
"NGE Shinji is broken, Manga Shinji is an asshole, Rebuild Shinji is an idiot. Which is best? Uh, can I get some other options? All of these really suck." -Bagheera
Re: NemZ Has Passed Away
This is a total shock. My sincere condolences.
Among the people who use the Internet, many are obtuse. Because they are locked in their rooms, they hang on to that vision which is spreading across the world. But this does not go beyond mere ‘data’. Data without analysis [thinking], which makes you think that you know everything. This complacency is nothing but a trap. Moreover, the sense of values that counters this notion is paralyzed by it.
And so we arrive at demagogy. - Hideaki Anno, 1996
And so we arrive at demagogy. - Hideaki Anno, 1996
Return to “EvaGeeks News and Feedback”
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 7 guests