Airsoft Arizona
General Airsoft Arizona => General Airsoft Discussion => Topic started by: Vince on November 14, 2012, 08:45:03 AM
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Today, Nil8r (Ron Bilodeau) passed away from complications resulting from his battle with brain-related issues.
A friend, mentor, son, father and pillar of this community, his loss diminishes us and we will remember him forever.
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Rest easy Ron. We all know the great amount of support and love you put into the community. Rest in peace.
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My sincerest condolences to his family in this time of loss. He's finally received his well-deserved rest, though.
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Gone but never forgotten, thanks for the great times man
(http://i898.photobucket.com/albums/ac187/poacherAT1/OP%20Hornets%20Nest/RSCN1642.jpg)
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I appreciate the picture Rogue. It didn't hit me as hard till I saw it.
I will miss him.
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Went to see him yesterday. You could say he "died in his sleep" ..No pain, peacefully.
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Rest in peace
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I never knew him. Been to gearbox a couple times but don't ever recall seeing him.. But when I heard about his passing my heart still sank. From what I've heard he was a good guy, I wish I would have had the chance to become equated with him. Unfortunately that didn't happen. You will be missed Ron.
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I've only met Ron a couple times, but every single time I did he was the greatest help to me. He will be missed.
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He got me into airsoft which in turn made me join the Army. Rest in peace bud.
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We'll miss you ron. You were an amazing person. My condolences go to all of his family and I wish the best for them.
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Rest in piece Ron! Helped me more than he knew! He will be remembered
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Rest in Peace
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Can I get a group going for a memorial patch for this pillar of the sport?
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Yeah, I'd buy one.
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I'll buy a patch, but you might want to start another thread if you plan on getting that set up to keep this one more personal.
Gearbox was my go to place for gear or airsoft advise or anything. He was an exceptionally helpful person and although I didn't personally know him, his advise and character has stuck with me through my few years airsofting. I wish I could have played along side him. Rest in peace Ron.
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RIP Ron. My team will take some memorial patches.
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R.I.P. Ron. You will be missed...
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Rest in peace.
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Ron was a dear friend and I will miss him horribly.
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Rest in peace, Ron. A good man definitely taken from all of us airsofters before his time. All of Coydogz will miss him.
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Marney sent me this information this afternoon. There has been a bank account set up to raise funds to help pay for funeral costs and the medical costs that have occurred to this devastating event. All donations can be sent to this account
Wells fargo
Acct #1690935695
routing # 1690935695
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^ Routing number, bank?
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ill get that thats all the info she gave me
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I have not been in this community long enough to know who Ron was, I maybe saw him once at Gearbox. But from what I hear he is a great person who helped anyone he could in any way he could.
There are not enough people like that in the world and I am sure he will be missed by a lot of people.
Rest in Peace.
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As Vince said "His loss diminishes us". His memory truly enriches us all as well. Ron did so much for this sport, for the community, and for all the lives he touched. My heart breaks for his family, team mates, and friends. He was one of the kindest people I have had the pleasure to interact with and my life is richer for having known him. My thoughts and prayers continue to be with his loved ones.
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I did not know him personally, but I did meet at him gearbox twice when I was in phoenix. He was a genuine guy, and he did right by me when I went in there to buy some stuff. He seemed like a really swell guy, and I know that he was an integral part of this community and it forming, so that others like myself could take part in this sport.
It seems to me that he had huge part in the development of the airsoft community in all of arizona, and airsoft has had a huge positive effect on my life. All of the people I have met, the experiences I have had, the hobby helped make me who I am today. That goes for anyone who has been to airsoft games hosted by AA, TAC, CT, etc, so really he had a profound effect on all of us.
Only wish I could have thanked him again. Hes in a better place now. RIP.
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Maybe I missed it in the thread but does anyone know if there will be a funeral service? I'd like to go if I can.
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Marney told me she has an meeting with the funeral house tomorrow . I'll post it as soon as she informs me when and where it will be.
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My team and I send our dearest condolences to the family. Even all the way up in Prescott, he had an impact on the sport, and it's just not the same driving down to Phoenix anymore without Gearbox. He will be sorely missed.
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^^ What he said. Ron was always happy to talk to us about guns, gear, or pretty much anything, and was always more than happy to oblige us when we wanted to handle things we couldn't afford.
Ron was a great guy and will be missed.
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rest in peace ron. thanks for helping me out where you did. you will be missed
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Ron's funeral services will be this Tuesday at 11 am. They will be at A.L. Moore Grimshaw on 7th Ave & Bethany Home of you have any further questions you can pm me. This information was just passed on to me from Marney Ron's wife .
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As stated earlier above, that picture makes the feeling of loss so much more intense. Rest In Peace, Ron. No longer in pain, I hope you are at peace, where ever you are.
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We all know Ron's character and what kind of man he was, no explanation required. So instead I will share a memory. I was remembering one night's discussion whether or not a person would really take a bullet in order to save someone else's life. Remembering Ron's statement that given the situation and opportunity, he would like to think that he would do so for a friend.
Ron, for the short time we've spent together on this earth, I'm honored to have been considered one of your friends. Thank you for your friendship and God speed brother.
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While the sentiment is probably in the right place, this would probably be very awkward for Ron's family and his numerous friends from outside airsoft.
You should probably dress in a respectful manner and not look like a militia member.
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I did ask Marney being cannon assessment replied. I don't think suits are necessary but think the cammo would not be appropriate
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I did ask Marney being cannon assessment replied. I don't think suits are necessary but think the cammo would not be appropriate
So casual?
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I did ask Marney being cannon assessment replied. I don't think suits are necessary but think the cammo would not be appropriate
So casual?
The dress is typically Casual to Business casual. I would be very surprised if I don't see suits.
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When I lived literally across the street I would go up to Gearbox every other week or so. I'd say to the wife "I'm running up to Gearbox real quick", she'd reply "see you in couple hours". This was always the case, I'd shoot chew the fat with Ron and the guys literally for hours and it usually was not about airsoft at all. I was saddened when Ron was first diagnosed and Gearbox's doors were closed. That does not compare to how I sad I feel now. It's taken me a couple days to digest this and post up here.
Ron, I will truly miss you my friend.
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here is an online obituary for Ron
http://obits.dignitymemorial.com/dignity-memorial/obituary.aspx?n=Ronald-Bilodeau&lc=4041&pid=161105672&mid=5310035&locale=en-US#.UKfgQioptwE.facebook (http://obits.dignitymemorial.com/dignity-memorial/obituary.aspx?n=Ronald-Bilodeau&lc=4041&pid=161105672&mid=5310035&locale=en-US#.UKfgQioptwE.facebook)
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The game today was a great way to show our respect for Ron it was a game he would have had alot of fun at lots of respect and honesty. Ron was all our friends and a great person ill be there tue.
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Anyone that knew Ron knows he was a truely good man, down to his very core.
I first met Ron when he was running game on, selling a couple guns here and there and gaming supplies. I would come in with my stupid ideas for my Airsoft kit and tactics and he would listen intently to whatever I was saying. If I was him I proably would have laughed at half of my ideas and thought they were stupid but Ron never did, he always listened and gave me advice on how to achieve whatever I was tryin to do.
When I transitioned from highschool to college going or graphic design I had asked Ron if he was interested in me making any logos or signage for his store because I needed portfolio material. It blew my mind when he told me he was a graphic designer himself, and gave me some small pieces of advice that ended up making me very successful at my career in the future.
My best memory of Ron was on one of the hardest weeks of my life, I had gone through a horrible breakup and my buddies wanted to take me out to play Airsoft but I needed BBs. So I stopped into gearbox the day before our game, The store was super busy but Ron was behind the counter talking to people about anything and everything. When I started talking to him I don't know how Ron knew being that he pretty much knew me as a customer and occasionally from a Airsoft game but he looked right at me and said "what's wrong with you?!?" I told him what was going on and dispite him having a store full of customers Ron spent over an hour talking to me about life and cheering me up. That's just the type of guy Ron was.
I will miss Ron a lot. it's amazing how someone you simply know from airsoft games and who owns a shop that you frequently go to can impact your life. NEVER take anyone for granted.
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Well said Ice man, that paints a perfect picture of the Ron we all knew.
My favorite picture of Ron while performing his "Hero pose" at LC7.
(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m168/madsarge1/misc/LionClaws7-08051.jpg)
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I decided to write a synopsis of my friendship with Ron Bilodeau in my journal, and I figured this was a good place to share it.
I met Ron for the first time in a secondary job interview for JungleToy, in October of 2005. During the time I worked with DaRon, and later while working as the store manager of the Tempe JungleToy, there was no doubt in my mind that Ron Bilodeau was the best district manager, boss, and mentor I could have ever asked for. At the time I was attending MCC to pursue a degree in business management, and the textbooks would give examples of effective management, and poor management. Ron was the only manager I've ever had, from any job, who actually matched the good examples in those books. He understood that he was running a business of people, not just walls of inventory. He genuinely cared about both his employees and his customers. A lot of the business ethics I hold today, as well as some of the habits I exhibit in my business now, come directly from the example that he set for me. Ron complimented us regularly for our good work. He also had a talent for reprimanding us in a way that motivated us to do better. He helped us solve problems, instead of blaming problems on us. One time, after really drilling DaRon and me for getting behind on inventory reports, he came to our store and stayed up until 1am, helping us catch up, guiding us through the whole process. He was always patient with us. He proudly stuck his neck out for us many times, after unwarranted complaints from both customers and corporate office. I remember two occasions where corporate office called him and instructed him to fire me immediately, not even giving him a reason why (yes, that’s really how corporate was in that company). He said he absolutely would not, and demanded a good reason. Both times he called me and got my side of the story so he could call them back and explain what really happened. He wasn’t just a good boss, he was always a good friend and ally. He also had a vast amount of knowledge. He seemed to know all the ins and outs of airsoft guns, tactical gear, and small business. He had absolutely no reservations about sharing his knowledge with us. He wanted us to know all the things that he knew. That, by itself, says a lot about what kind of a leader and mentor he was.
In 2007, JungleToy laid me off, and soon after closed its doors. Ron made it clear that he was available to help me find a new job if needed. I went to work for Batteries Plus just a few months later. I heard Ron had bought the lease to the Tempe store I worked at, and had decided to start Gearbox Airsoft. After about a year, I quit my job at Batteries Plus and began doing tech for Gearbox. I got to be pretty good friends with Ron during those years. I repaired and upgraded literally hundreds of guns. Sometimes it was overwhelming, and customers' guns seemed to keep inventing new ways to break themselves. He always listened to my rants and complaints, as well as my accomplishments. Ron was the kind of person that made you want to run to the front of the store and say “Dude, you gotta see what I just did to this gun!” He had a way of making us feel like a million bucks when we accomplished something great. Coming up with solutions to problems and new inventive ideas to make airsoft guns awesome was always easier with Ron's help. He was the ultimate in third party perspective. He always seemed to see the one little detail that I missed. I was convinced that there was absolutely no airsoft project that we could not conquer in that store.
I miss listening to his stories. He had a rare ability to recount almost any event in such a way that made it sound considerably funnier that it actually was. His movie reviews were always epic. His facial expressions were always priceless. His vocal sound effects were straight out of childhood memories. He did an awesome airsoft gun sound effect, which also conveniently doubled as a miniature helicopter sound. Parking lot syndrome was a very normal occurrence at that shop; I can’t measure how many hours we spent talking while standing next to our open car doors, as though we were actually going to end our conversation and go home shortly. He had a very obvious talent for making people feel welcome. DaRon and I used to joke about how every time he would come to our store with inventory, crowds of people would follow him. It’s not much of an exaggeration; everywhere he went, people wanted to talk to him. I think people genuinely felt as though simply being associated with him was a great personal accomplishment.
He was one of the most generous people I have ever known. He gave and gave, and never asked for anything in return. I have met very few people like that. You could see it in his face when he gave someone a free bag of BB’s, or spent 30 minutes fixing someone’s magazine at no cost. He loved helping people. He bought us SO many lunches at Gearbox. He offered almost every day. I always made it a point to look him in the eye and say “thank you, Ron.” He always responded so casually, as though the thanks were not needed. I went through some pretty rough financial times while working at Gearbox. When he heard I was struggling, Ron always offered to help. I didn’t even have to ask. Even though I always paid back every dollar he loaned to me, I will always be in debt to him for generosity. He helped me tremendously during I time when I needed it desperately. I will always remember that for the rest of my life.
During the last year and a half I have been working hard on other projects, particularly starting my own recording studio. I didn’t get to spend very much time at Gearbox, unfortunately. I don’t remember what the last conversation I had with Ron was, but I’m sure it ended like normal: laughing at something funny he had said, walking out the door with my toolbox in hand (that Ron gave to me as a birthday present), and saying “have a good night” as the gearbox cylinders clanked against the door. Those were some really, really good times. I learned so much from Ron. I don’t have a single bad thing to say about him. He was such a great friend, a great boss, a great mentor, and a really great man. I will never forget him and the exceptional example that he set for me during the 7 years I knew him. I look forward to seeing him again after this life, so we can play airsoft and tell jokes again.
-Jared
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Jared, It would be difficult to add to anything you said about Ron, He will be MISSED :(
Our Love n Wishes are now with Marney and the kidletts :)
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BUMP.
You're not forgotten.
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Already posted on FB but seemed wrong not to do it here.
We all miss you Ron, the community is just not the same without you in it.