Ron Thorne — R.I.P.

[Gentle Giant]

Is no one left here? Still reeling from Ron's death. He worked so hard to get this JC alternative running and viable. He often asked me if I would share content I was posting on FB or other media to here, but it never engendered any action. Shame, but perhaps the appetite for a place like this just doesn't exist anymore. I know I only show up once a year or so at best. I came on here today assuming there would be a Ron Thorne RIP thread already, but couldn't find one. Maybe no one will ever read this. Oh well, I miss you Ron. I'm very grateful to have known you the past two decades.

[bluenoter]

I stopped by, G.G. Thanks so much for posting that! I miss Ron too, a lot, and am grateful to have known him too.

[BeBop]

I stop by when I have internet access. It's no so much looking for new content (though that would be swell); I'm just thinking of Ron and his efforts to build this.

When I settle into a life where there is reliable, omnipresent internet access, I would love to have a place like this to participate in music and peripheral conversation. For now, I'll say "thanks for joining me in remembering Ron".

[rlfun]

Ron was such a good man and a good friend. And this site is so well done and such a wonderful resource. Many thanks to Ron and Justin and anyone else who played a role in keeping it going. I admit to being a bit scarce around here but it's not because I didn't appreciate it. I do. It's always gratifying to see so many knowledgeable, talented people that I know from JT and from the jazz site era. Very special. One thing is for sure, I'll never forget my friend Ron Thorne.

[Dex]

My first and only encounter with Ron was at the Jazz Corner website. He ripped me a new one for unknowingly transgressing some unknown or unwritten protocol related to new members and how they introduce themselves. Perhaps it was because I mentioned either the Blue Note Board or Organissimo Board - I can't remember how long ago it was. I never posted at JC again. It's been a while......

When Jazz Corner bit the dust, I saw that Ron had started a board of his own - and even though I never posted here, I gained a new respect for him as a lover of jazz and a bit of an elder statesman who hoped that this site would take off as a replacement for JC. It's too bad that it did not, but I admired him for his continued interest in the site and jazz in general.

I stopped by a couple of days ago and was saddened by the news of his passing. I went over to the Organissimo Board to start a thread, but saw that one already had been stated. Seems like Ron had a lot of friends over there.

Here's a link:

Organissimo's Ron Thorne thread

Justin - I don't know you, but I am sorry for your loss. From all accounts, your Dad was a great guy and a respected member of the online jazz community. Respected by me as well, in spite of our rocky start

[jtx]

I committed to not coming onto Jazztalk for a month, and upon my return I found this thread, which is at once heartening and saddening, as I notice all of the R.I.P. threads posted by the man this thread is now eulogizing in the same way.

It is great to hear from all of you on the passing of my dad, Ron Thorne. He thought very highly of all of the contributors to this site, both the regular posters and the much less frequent contributors. Setting this site up was an effort of love for him, to continue in the tradition of Jazz Corner, and even in the last few months of 2019, a year which saw him able to make only a small handful of posts, he was still trying to figure out a way of making one more push to get people active on the site again.

Over the course of the 6+ years this site has been in operation, we've made the site mobile friendly, connected it with the Tapatalk app, and done a host of other smaller modifications here and there. 12,889 posts over the site's run to date is not bad. Not as much as my dad hoped for, perhaps, but an achievement nonetheless. (one of his favorite smilies)

I know that he would want the site to continue, but I am not sure yet in what form I will retain it. I would like to preserve its contents at the very least. I will figure something out in the next few weeks, and probably have a decision by around the new year. Of course, it would be amazing if we got a flurry of action again here to make this a viable place for lovers of jazz to congregate once more, but perhaps Facebook, Twitter, Netflix and our collectively shorter attention spans have already won the day? Sad if true.

If anyone has any thoughts, please PM me or post them here.

Thanks again for your words of support and for remembering Ron Thorne. I enjoyed telling him that he was the favorite dad I ever had.

He knew what I meant.

[john williams]

I doubt anyone remembers me. I was JBW on Jazzcorner. I always appreciated Ron's contributions and his flawless moral compass. He didn't know me from a bar of soap but offered an invitation to stay with him if I visited Alaska. I'm in Australia and still haven't made it over there. My travels have been postponed due to full time care of my wife Leeanne who passed 3 years ago.

Ron was a lovely man who I'll never forget. RIP.

[Zula]

Farewell, Ron... lovely man, indeed. So glad you made it! Sorry you're gone...

[jtx]

Hello, everyone

My dad's obituary ran in the local newspaper in Anchorage last week.

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/adn/o ... fhid=15804

They required a black and white photo, so we went with this one I took of him back in 2010.

rct_bw.jpg (63.9 KiB) Viewed 87521 times

[rlfun]

Thanks for posting this, Justin. I really like the photo, too. It's Ron to a 'T'.

[jtx]

For sure. It was a look I know so well being presented in the photo.