Wildcats Forever - Honorary Inductee

[Sociopathicsteelerfan]

(01-06-2019, 10:59 PM)Bengalzona Wrote: Induction into our Hall of Fame community is usually a happy occasion. However, this induction is bittersweet. As many of you may be aware by now, our member and friend Wildcats Forever (a.k.a. David Fleeman) passed away last week following open heart surgery. His family said he passed peacefully in his sleep.



After consideration from the other Mods and Admins, we decided that David's work on the board and, moreover, the presence and wisdom he brought to the board made him worthy of inclusion in this special group. Here are some reasons why we felt he was deserving of the honor.

Like many of us, David transferred here from the old board, where he had already established himself as a poster who was friendly, funny, and wise. He treated people with respect, sometimes when they did not appear to deserve it. And these were traits that David brought to our new board and shared with us. Those who knew him and interacted with him regularly had a high degree of respect and admiration for him.

When we needed a new Moderator at one point, David's name came up and he was immediately a top choice due to our regard for his enthusiasm and his ability to deal respectfully with people. He joined us and proved an excellent choice, constantly striving to make the boards a friendly and respectful community for all of its members.

David had three main passions in life: the Bengals, the Wildcats and playing the drums. He pursued all three with great vigor and zest, despite advancing age and increasing medical problems.

David cared about people. This was evident from his interactions with them. Sunset Bengal shared this story about David:


Before he went in for surgery, David posted one last post in the Mods forum. Here is a portion of what he said:


For those of you who did not know David, I'm sorry to say that you missed out on meeting someone special. For those who did know him, you know why he his here in this select group far better than my simple words can convey. And you know that it is not a "pity vote". David is here due to the strength of his character and his passion for the team, the board and the board members.

Somewhere in the great beyond, Cam and David are shaking hands and hugging.

God speed, fellow MAS member!

I don't read much (anything) outside of P&R of late, so I just saw this.  Wildcats was a great dude, out of the old board I think I talked with him and The Bat more than anyone else in PM's.  He had a great sense of humor and we shared a lot of the same views.  He wasn't always fond of my confrontational style and frequently made this known once he became a mod here.  I always respected his ability to remain impartial and call a person out that he otherwise had a good relationship with.  That's the kind of integrity we rarely see in today's world of homeboy hook ups and situational ethics.  I'm honestly saddened to hear this and I hope he's happy, wherever he is, and that his family finds some solace in the knowledge that he was so well liked by a bunch of people who never met him in person.