More on Hal Haag

Here's a forwarded message from Hal's son, Evan:

Hello everyone.

For those of you that do not know me, I am Hal's son. I want to thank everyone that receives this e-mail, and everyone that it is forwarded to (and everyone that should have gotten it but for whom I was unable to find any contact info) for their thoughts, their support, and their patience. So far, I've seen some lovely remembrances of him, and I hope that all of you will be able to keep your good memories of him firmly in your minds and hearts.

In the interest of honest disclosure, I feel I should let those of you that do not yet know the basic details. Hal was found (by me and my wife, Kris) here at his home on Wednesday, August 12th. He had apparently had a heart attack just as he was getting up that morning. From all indications, it was very quick and probably painless for him.

He is currently awaiting cremation at an extremely helpful and understanding funeral parlor. Unfortunately for those who may have hoped for a viewing or an immediate memorial, my father has never wanted either of those things. I do apologize and ask that you be understanding in this regard, as my father would much rather have everyone get together for each other. In his own words..."Why do I have to be there?" I know that sounds odd, but he actually told me that himself. He believed in the wake, not the funeral. I think, in his own thoughts, he knew he would be there, and that the vehicle of his body would be fairly superfluous at that point.

My wife and I have created a LiveJournal community for all of us to share our anecdotes, well-wishes, and prayers, and we ask that any who wish to join it do so.

The community is http://community.livejournal.com/halhaagmemorial/
and I hope to be able to bring as many of you together on it as possible. For those of you without LiveJournal, this e-mail address is my focal point for all direct questions and communication regarding any memorial plans. The LiveJournal community will also be used to disseminate information about any upcoming memorials once they have been more solidified. Right now, we are looking to have a large-ish event (as large as we can manage) in the near future that we hope many will be able to attend.

Please forward this e-mail to anyone you know that has not already received it. I ask also that any friends of Hal that are not already on this email list please contact me, so that I may keep them better updated as to the memorial plans and schedules. If need be, my cell phone may be used as a last resort: 443-851-1036. Understand, though, that I have a lot of phone calls to make in the next week or two, so I may not be able to answer or call back quickly.

Any finalized plans will be broadcast via e-mail, as well as being posted on the LiveJournal page, so that everyone knows as soon as possible. Should anyone feel the need to then relay that info via FaceBook or any similar means, feel free. We are trying to find a space to accommodate Dad's many, many friends (and he had a LOT), so we are looking at early to mid-September as our best date. That should give us (and hopefully all of you) enough time to plan and prepare.

Again, thank you all for having been my father's friends and companions over the years. He appreciated every one of you (whether he said it or not).

Evan Haag