Sad news about my father Andy Minter

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dcminter
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Post by dcminter »

On Tuesday night my father, Andy Minter, whose handle here was "ExEmGee" asked me to leave a note for him on these forums to say that "Andy Minter says 'Cheerio!'". At that point we thought he probably had a few more weeks left. Sadly that night he declined very rapidly and last night, Wednesday, he died.

He was not a gregarious man, but friendly and humorous. He revelled in what has come to be known as the "Dad joke" when given the opportunity and had a taste for black humour; one of his last comments to me was that I shouldn't bring him any long books to read.

By trade he was one of the early professional computer programmers; cutting his teeth on a Ferranti Pegasus and finishing his career writing bespoke PC payroll software for a handful of loyal customers. His career led to my own and so we had that point of connection amongst others.

His handle on these forums was probably a reference to the MG F roadster which I sold him when I moved abroad - and which I then bought back when I returned (hence the "ex"). My brother, seeing a gap in the market, sold him his own vintage left hand drive Fiat Spider in which my father made several tours of northern europe and which is still parked up at the family home.

I am proud of the way my father dealt with his diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. He took it in his stride, declared that as a man in his 80s his long term prospects were not looking good anyway. Once my mother was gone and he no longer had the responsibility of caring for her he accepted only those treatments which would improve his quality of life. His friends and family will miss him dreadfully.

I know he greatly enjoyed making recordings for Librivox, getting feedback, and participating in the forums - he was too tired to contribute much in the last year or two but I thank you for giving him that opportunity when he was in better health.

Sincerely,

Dave Minter.
Carolin
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Post by Carolin »

dcminter wrote:His friends and family will miss him dreadfully.
and so will we. i am very sorry to hear this news. andy was a huge asset to librivox, such a pleasant person to work with. thank you for letting us know, dave, and Beileid.
Carolin
annise
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Post by annise »

I'm sorry we didn't get the chance to say the nice things to him. Andy was one of the first LibriVox people I had contact with, I was very unsure about whether anyone would want me and knew nothing about forums etc. He was encouraging - and I'm still here :D
My thoughts are with you and your family.

Anne
smike
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Post by smike »

My condolences! I enjoyed his readings. He'll certainly be missed. :(
Claudia

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Post by Availle »

I'm so sorry to hear that!

I have listened to a few of the books he recorded and enjoyed them tremendously. From what you write it does seem that he enjoyed his life and made the best of what was left; and from how I heard him reading, that's exacly the impression I had of him.
Cheers, Ava.
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MaryAnnSpiegel
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Post by MaryAnnSpiegel »

May I offer my condolences David, to you and your family.

Andy has brought me hours of enjoyment and escape. When I was just dipping my toe (or ear) into the LV catalog, Andy's voice was so warm and welcoming, and so full of smile, that I became an immediate fan and ended up listening to most everything he has read. The Prisoner of Zenda has always been a favorite. It was guaranteed to make me smile and opened my eyes to a whole new genre of literature. I was so thrilled to proof listen his final solo, Bladys of the StewPoney. As a newer volunteer, the opportunity to work with a rock star like Andy put me over the moon! And I have come back to The Princess and the Goblin many times when a dose of fairy-tale is just what the doctor ordered to lighten and brighten my commute.

Andy has left a legacy, both in his voice and his choice of works, which reflects who he is as a man, a husband and a father. You have a great deal to be proud of, and we, a great deal to be thankful for. May we all do as well with the gifts and talents entrusted to us.

MaryAnn
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Post by plaidsicle »

this is sad news. I have been listening to the old podcasts, and exemgee's contributions are always great.
condolences to his real-world family and to his librivox family.
'whenever people agree with me I always feel I must be wrong.' -Oscar Wilde
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kayray
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Post by kayray »

I am so very sorry for your loss, Dave.

Andy joined us in the Old Days, February of 2006, when librivox was only a few months old and I still knew every volunteer's voice, so, though I never met him, this feels like losing a real-life friend. Andy was kind, witty, helpful, and a fantastic reader. I'm not surprised that he met his fate with grace and dignity. He was a treasure and he will be sorely missed.

Dave, would you please tell us what year Andy was born so that we can add his birth and death years to his catalog page?

Please make sure that your friends and family know how much Andy was loved and valued here at librivox.
Kara
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smike
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Post by smike »

I know he was very much appreciated by lots of listeners all over the world, too, his name is frequently mentioned in the 'Thank you messages' thread.
Claudia

So much to do, so little time...
Peter Why
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Post by Peter Why »

Dave,
That's very sad news; thank you for telling us. Andy was a friend to many of us within LibriVox, and his voice was appreciated by people around the world.

I'm glad that Andy's sense of humour stayed with him to the end; being able to smile and make others smile is one of those things that makes us most human.

Peter
"I think, therefore I am, I think." Solomon Cohen, in Terry Pratchett's Dodger
MaryinArkansas
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Post by MaryinArkansas »

That is very sad. He was a wonderful reader and obviously a wonderful person. Sympathy to you and all your family.
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―Diane Duane, So You Want to Be a Wizard.

Mary :)📚
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Post by aradlaw »

Thank you Dave, for registering and sharing this sad news. Your father will be missed, but his words and recordings will live on here at Librivox. Condolences and best wished to you and the family.
David Lawrence

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libraryanne
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Post by libraryanne »

I echo what has been said already. Andy was very respected and appreciated here at librivox and by listeners everywhere. He'll be missed. My sincere condolences to you and your family.

Betty
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Post by m8b1 »

I am very sorry for your loss, Dave.

I remember one time I chose to listen to a group project that your father participated in - instead of the solo version - because he and another gentlemen did such a wonderful job of bringing the book to life in the chapters that they read!

It really is a beautiful thing about Librivox that the voices of readers who have past on still continue to bring joy to listeners!

Thank you very much for letting us know.
Maria
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chocoholic
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Post by chocoholic »

Dave, I am so sorry for your loss. My condolences to your family. I've missed seeing Andy around the forum and I'm sad that he's gone. Sending us a last "Cheerio!" is so exactly like him.

Andy was one of the people I used to say I could listen to read the phone book out loud, his voice was that warm and expressive. I well remember his sense of humor, and I can absolutely imagine him making dry jokes about his own cancer. I can't recall where (whether it was in a podcast or here on the forum), but there was once a discussion about how Librivox affected our real lives... Andy said that when he got up to read the Scripture lesson in church, he had to stop himself from beginning, "This is a Librivox recording. All Librivox recordings are in the public domain." I remember him talking about the car, too.

I think a lot of us have favorite Andy recordings. One of the first LV recordings I listened to was The Prisoner of Zenda, which MaryAnn already linked. I listened again several years later and enjoyed it just as much. The same goes for The Princess and the Goblin. We are so lucky that his voice is still with us.

Here's a podcast with me interviewing Andy (starts at 3:55): viewtopic.php?p=227521#p227521
And a podcast with Andy interviewing Elizabeth Klett (starts at 7:50): viewtopic.php?p=245398#p245398

Andy's catalog page: https://librivox.org/reader/152
Laurie Anne
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