To Chris aka Webmonkey…

[deleted]

I moved to Seattle for grad school in the fall of 2002. Far removed from Utah fans and without cable television in the room I rented, I was unable to watch the BYU/Utah game that year. I looked up the result on ESPN that night. We won and I felt celebratory! I found Utefans shortly thereafter so I could e-share the victory with fellow Utes. I visited often if not daily from then on, through the great 2003 and even better 2004 years. I was at the Fiesta Bowl with so many of you and enjoyed in turn hours of analysis, gloating, pain, and unbelievable joy. We were together for the Sugar Bowl, Pacmas, Stanford 2013, USC 2014 and even Oregon 2015. Chris’s effort was a valued part of my life for more than a decade. I’ll always be grateful for that connection to my years at the U that I still look back on with almost painful fondness.

I don’t know that I’ve met any of you personally and I never met Chris but what a community! Thank you, Chris! Your work in this world will always be cherished and we are all better for it.

[Minnesota Ute]

My arc was similar to yours, I think I joined in 2002 or 2003.  When I met Chris about 10 years later, and went to the Colorado game with him, Kara, and my brother, we friended each other on FB.  Got a real kick in the nuts today when FB let me know it is his Birthday today.  Happy Birthday Monkey, I hope you are having a wonderful celebration in the great upstairs.  RIP

[BulgieUte]

Just in case that kick to the nuts wasn’t enough here’s another. It’s also his daughter’s birthday today, poor girl.

[Hoo Ray Who?]

I joined UF.N in 2007. I was the “acting” GM of the Famous Dave’s in Midvale, which at the time hosted both the Kyle Whittingham and the (then) Jim Boylen Coaches Shows. It was my first week in the store and my predecessor had done a supremely lousy job of accomodating the crowds. My first show night I had set everything up and left for the day, trusting my crew to handle business (my days started at 6 AM there)  THAT was a monumental mistake. We had several large uninterested parties seated in the middle of the show area, fans who wanted to attend the show but couldn’t due to space and the aforementioned groups, and UF.N promptly went into a frenzied meltdown over it. This is how I learned of the board. Now, as a lifelong Utes fan there isn’t a greater insult than being accused of being a Zoob, and starting the next week I stayed late to work 16 hour days to make damn sure that each and every Coaches Show was amazing. I had some back and forth with Chris about the whole thing, and from his end as Webmaster he helped me turn the situation around. I met a few board old timers like JDart and others I can’t recall, but I distinctly remember reading the thread(s) on the debacle and feeling like I had let Ute Nation down. I wasn’t a terribly frequent poster (my handle was oregonutefan over there) but when all the dust settles, my memories of Monkey will be good ones. I hope his family and friends find some peace in all of this. I’ll lift a glass to his memory at each and every tailgate this upcoming season. GO UTES

[IrieUte]

Chris was a better person, a more caring charismatic man than i will ever be. I would die the worst deaths imaginable for eternity if it meant he could live as his former self again!!!

[MemoryofKosh]

I just yesterday finally managed to figure out something was truly wrong with Utefans.Net. I myself have been battling major health issues for 9 months, and living in a nursing home hasn’t helped my outside communication much. When I hadn’t been able to log into Utefans for a while, I chalked it up to one of the unfortunate absences that came with Chris’ health struggles. Only this morning did the unthinkable enter my mind.
Somehow, through the grace of God, I became aware of this site, and chose to investigate…only to find this thread, and have my heartbreaking intuition confirmed. For now, I need to go have a really long cry. I myself learned this past fall of no less than 8 tumors in my ribs and kidney. So the reality of Chris being gone hits me very hard. I had never been part of a tailgating community until he encouraged me to stop by and find the ship. [I cant imagine ever going by that spot and knowing he isnt there anymore]. I’ll come back to the board some time soon and share some of my nearly 18 year history of life with Chris and Utefans.net. Until then, I offer a heartfelt prayer to God for his family – that they may be comforted in this time of pain and loss. I’ll also ask those of you who wouldnt mind, to throw up a prayer for me; at 55 y.o. I have no nuclear family of my own.. never did get lucky enough to find a human being who wanted to sail life with me; but now I am concerned for my only full sibling – I dont want her to have to endure this sort of loss. Thank in advance for your prayers.

A Utah Man Am I (beyond death if need be).

Memory of Kosh
(formerly Kosh of UF.N)

[Tony (admin)]

Welcome to the board @memoryofkosh. Glad to have you. You’ll find this is a great group of Ute fans. We’re all pals here.

[Author]

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