When I got home from seeing There Will Be Blood (more on that tomorrow) I found messages on my answering machine from two friends: one cryptic and the second explaining the first. Robert Legault, a wonderful man and a good friend and terrific copy editor died of a coronary some time last week in his NY apartment.

I've known Robert for over twenty years and although we've been close on and off I hadn't really hung out with him in the last year or so except at Jack Womack's get togethers. Before I rented my own book storage lockers, I shared the rent on one with him for a few years but finally stopped out of frustration because he never paid the rent on time. So I'd often have to get the man at the desk to accompany upstairs to open the big lock the company put on his locker (they were nice didn't have to do that). One of the vagaries of freelancing.

He loved Spain, living there on and off during the years I knew him.

He always sounded as if he were coming on to you (if you were a woman) insinuating --but not in an obnoxious way and it was always fun to figure out the best Xmas gift for him --it was easy...Cheesy paperback, some 50s item with a sexy babe on it.

He collected records and I dread seeing what his storage locker (and apartment)holds. I even sold him a few of those I was getting rid of when I went to CDs.

Here's a photo of him from Readercon last year:

Robert

Daylight savings time alert!!!! This Sat/Sunday night so set your clocks ahead one hour and don't miss the service if you're coming.
UPDATE ON MEMORIAL SERVICE
A memorial service will be held for him Sunday, March 9th --10:30 am
at:the Beth Abraham Memorial Chapel
199 Bleecker Street between 6th Ave and Macdougal Street
Their phone # is 212-614-2300 if you need to ask them for directions.

In place of flowers, if you wish, please make a donation to

http://www.jazzfoundation.org/
lagilman: coffee or die (Default)

From: [personal profile] lagilman


I only knew him in the casual way everyone seemed to know everyone else in NYC genre publishing, but the shock of the news today was still, well, a shock.


From: [identity profile] mjlayman.livejournal.com


He always sounded as if he were coming on to you

Pat Cadigan just said this a couple posts down my friends list. I only knew him online; I'm so sorry for your loss.

From: [identity profile] deliasherman.livejournal.com


That is a shock. He proofread Interfictions, and I had a nice meeting with him over it. He was always very shy with me. One of the guys I thought would be around forever. Lord, this has been a bad 14 months for the community.

From: [identity profile] ellen-datlow.livejournal.com


You probably intimidated him!
Yeah. It should have not happened.
ext_13461: Foxes Frolicing (Default)

From: [identity profile] al-zorra.livejournal.com


Like you, I'm in shock. Ned is equally upset. They spoke Spanish and guitars and copy editing together, and some other subjects as well.

I spent a lot of time with him for a while, and then I went back to school, my back went splah, and we moved to New Orleans, the levees broke, the books, so much travel, blahblahblah, and though we'd had some e-mails and a drink occasionally, hadn't seen him in too long. My back thing is really screwing up my friendships.

Love, C.

From: [identity profile] ellen-datlow.livejournal.com


I used to go to the movies with him a LOT--he always had something good to say about every movie--not matter how bad.

From: [identity profile] barb-krasnoff.livejournal.com


Terrible news. Jim knew him much more than I did, but we hung out sometimes at Readercon and other SF venues, and I liked him a lot. A very sweet guy; I'm going to miss him.

From: [identity profile] nick-kaufmann.livejournal.com


My condolences. He looks familiar to me, I probably met him at KGB sometime, maybe shared a table with him at the Chinese restaurant, but I didn't really know him.

From: [identity profile] ellen-datlow.livejournal.com


Thanks, Nick. I'm sure you did at least meet him--he came to KGB sometimes.

From: [identity profile] xnamkrad.livejournal.com


Sounds like he was one of the good ones. Life sucks at times.

From: [identity profile] ellen-datlow.livejournal.com


He was. He could be a pain sometimes (can't we all?) But he was a sweetie. It was like hugging a bear.

From: [identity profile] baldanders.livejournal.com


I can't believe this. He won't be in any of the language/words conversations anymore. That really is a hole that won't go away.

From: [identity profile] ellen-datlow.livejournal.com


I know. Or tell us the good points of movies that were awful!
themadblonde: (Default)

From: [personal profile] themadblonde

sympathies on the loss of your friend


Sounds like he's left a lot of good memories behind him, however, & that's not a bad thing to say about a life.

From: [identity profile] ellen-datlow.livejournal.com

Re: sympathies on the loss of your friend


Thanks. I was commiserating with a mutual friend this morning and we both said we felt so guilty not hanging out with him as much as we used to the past couple of years. Then figured out that perhaps we shouldn't feel so guilty--he didn't make the effort either perhaps because he was so busy working and/or playing with other friends.
themadblonde: (Default)

From: [personal profile] themadblonde

very wise...


most likely he felt just as guilty for not being in touch. Remember him w/ joy, I'm sure he would have loved that.

From: [identity profile] natesmomclaire.livejournal.com


Even if you hadn't seen him that much lately, I know you lost a very good friend in Robert. I'm very sorry. Thank you for posting the pictures, too.

From: [identity profile] ellen-datlow.livejournal.com


Thank you. That's very kind of you. You're very welcome.
.

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