As everyone already knows, last week we lost Gene Trimble, chipping pioneer, illegal researcher and good friend.

When I started out as "a young pup" some 25 years ago, Gene took me under his wing and got me interested in not only collecting illegals, but also going deeper into the history and inciting in me a general passion for the hobby. Over the years we went from occasional acquaintances to good friends. In the last few years we've collaborated on numerous research projects and I've been a happy team member of the IOTD group. His excitement for new information was infectious and truly was one of the main reasons I spend so much time researching.

The "Illegal of the Day" project was envisioned by Gene as a way to disseminate the information we were gathering on illegals. It was meant to be little write-ups that he would post from time to time, but grew into some incredible research and stories. It has been a rewarding experience - mostly because of Gene's enthusiasm (each one I wrote was "perhaps the best you've ever done!" LOL)

So, in Gene's memory, I plan to continue to post the IOTD research as they come about. I would also like to help anyone else who used to lean on Gene for help in researching illegals. I want to continue to grow the "illegals" section of the hobby. If there is just one thing we can do in his honor, it would be to continue the work he loved doing.

The passing of Gene was an important lesson that we should all take to heart. Enjoy the time we have with good friends and never take a day for granted. I sure wish I had some of that time back.

(from our last joint seminar in 2013)