[Wayne 962]

By now, most of you who read this will know that one of our long-time posters and professors, Warren Hall has passed away from complications due to a long life-time fight with Cystic Fibrosis. Warren's contributions to the forums have been been immeasurable, and he has helped thousands of Porsche owners over the past several years, all the while fighting this degenerative disease. Our furious fund raising junket at the very least served to lift Warren's spirits during his final days. According to Mark Wilson who spoke with him, he was enlightened and filled with joy by the outpouring of support from our humble and caring community here.

I like to try to see the silver lining in things. Warren lived 57 years, which is far beyond the twenty-something lifespan of most people with this disease. He lived a full life and significantly beat the odds, even up to the very last moments. His thoughts, hopes, memories, and writings will forever be preserved here on the forums. One of my 2008 major projects will be to build a Porsche knowledgebase, or Wiki, of which Warren's posts and advice will be a vital, key component. With the help of everyone here on the board we can immortalize Warren for future generations of Porsche owners.

Warren's fight with Cystic Fibrosis has also helped to raise awareness for the genetic disease and the plight of patients who suffer from it's effects. Mark mentioned to me today that Warren's diagnosis wasn't even made until his 20s. I'm pretty sure that our campaign raised at least a few eyebrows and the consciousness of our members here. Some of the funds raised for Warren will no doubt be used to help fight this disease.

It is with great sorrow that I bid my final farewell to Warren. I've changed his user title to "In Porsche Heaven" - I've had to do this a few times in the past few years- always a sad moment for me.

Thanks for listening...

-Wayne