Cabbie passed away from natural causes on February 18, 2022.

Now member of The Great Eternal Recovery Meeting.

Wow. That's sad news. Thanks for letting us know.

Cabbie posted here last on February 9.

I'm sorry I didn't pay more attention and interact with him more recently.

That happens a lot. Time has a habit of slipping by.

It's hard to lose one of the RfM family.

RIP Cabbie.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/19/2022 10:50PM by Nightingale.

There were a couple other posters not all that long ago who told us they had cancer. I don't remember their names but I wish them well.

I got to meet Cabbie years ago. Condolences to his extended family.

Awww, I'm very sad to hear that. :o(

I also thank you for letting us know.

I'm very sorry to hear of that. Rest in peace, Cabbie, we will miss you.

Sad to hear. He had some valuable insights. RIP. Condolences to his family.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/20/2022 12:20AM by Lethbridge Reprobate.

I met SL Cabbie at the Salt Lake exmormon conference.

Sad, that last ride is…

The Cabbie was so, so smart, with expertise in many areas - Utah history, substance abuse, genetics and DNA. And he was largely self taught.

He lost his mother in June of 2020 and his father just about a year ago. He was very close to them both and I imagine their deaths took an enormous toll on his own health.

His contributions to this site were sometimes contentious, but always brilliant and witty. It's a huge loss for RFM.

That is how I remembered him. And a good heart always shone through.

I am sorry to say I have been able to confirm this. He was very guarded about his IRL info so I will not post a link to anything. I am very sorry for his young daughter. This must be so hard for her.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/20/2022 02:02AM by Susan I/S.

I corresponded on and off with SLCabbie (his first name was Randy, if I remember correctly), mainly about alcohol issues. This is very sad news. Condolences to all who knew him.

Tom in Paris



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/20/2022 04:19PM by Soft Machine.

I never met him but had been an email friend of his for the past ten or eleven years. He loved raptors and I sent him a photo I had taken recently of a red-tailed hawk. When he never replied, I knew something was wrong and had been trying to find any info I could. Nothing was posted on RFM, yesterday I found an obituary. I posted here so that others would know.

That was good of you. I appreciate it.

Thank you Susan. I went back through my emails with Cabbie, all of the wildlife and nature photos that I took where I live that I had sent to him over the past 11 years, and made a short video. The last photo I sent him was just two days before Cabbie's brother died of Covid. I don't know if Cabbie ever saw that photo, he never replied and then he died.
https://vimeo.com/691959652

Wow. That was beautiful and amazing.

Elder Berry Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Wow. That was beautiful and amazing.

Exactly so. Made me cry.

That's sad that Cabbie's brother died of COVID.

And then Cabbie went too.

I'm kinda surprised how we can come to feel like we know fellow RfM'ers and care about them even though we have never met in person.

We are entangled in each other's lives. Doesn't matter if it is a rare meeting of tribes through the years or daily postings. We are humans.

Elder Berry Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> We are humans.

Yeah, that bonding thing happens, unawares at times. And we realize it in some cases too late.

So sorry to hear that. Though we don’t meet our RFM distant friends they are still valuable to us and valued by us.

I will miss his insights.

Yes, even though we never meet each other for the most part, the loss of anyone here is terrible.

RIP, SL Cabbie. Condolences to your family.

Randy and I met at ex-mo conference in 2007. We communicated by email and phone daily for years afterward and became especially close. He had a brilliant mind and a sharp wit. I even got to know his sweet mother, who was a gifted artist. I commissioned an oil painting from her - an ocean picture - that now hangs above my bed.

Cabbie and I eventually lost touch and I misplaced his contact information. I've trolled RFM for months looking for his byline so I could touch base with him again. I thought it was strange that I couldn't find a trace of him. He couldn't possibly keep his opinions locked down that long!

Now I finally know what happened to him. I am utterly devastated. He was an atheist so I offer no platitudes about the afterlife. But he loved nature and I believe a return to the Earth is exactly what he would he would have wanted most.

I loved Randy dearly. I am so sad that I will never get to hear his words of wisdom, his strength, ever again. He saved my life once (really). RIP my friend.

Shannon/JackMormon'sWife :o)

Nice to see you around! I hope all is well with you and yours.

Thank you Susan.

I was afraid that is what you were going to tell us. It make me so sad. I'm so sorry to all his family, especially his daughter.

I can't believe it.

I am very sorry to learn of this. I had met Cabbie in SLC 20 many years ago. He was a valuable contributor here.

this reminds ziller of a story ~


Part V ~ “The Lamentation of Salt Lake City” ~


It was a dark and moonless night ~

The blacked-out 1962 Cadillac Fleetwood Limousine rolling slowly down West North Temple was the only sign of life in a blacked-out and deserted downtown Salt Lake City ~

Debris and whatever else the looters didn’t want littered the abandoned boulevard and crunched beneath the Cadillac’s high-performance run-flat tires ~

Tumbleweeds decorated with trash wandered aimlessly past as if they too were trying to evacuate the doomed city ~

Only the eerie glow from the spaceships, hovering in the sky above, illuminated the limousine’s path toward Temple Square ~

The car pulled up to the corner of West North Temple and North Main and eased to a stop ~

“This is where you get out,” SL Cabbie said. “Do you guys have everything you need?” ~

I’m sorry to hear this. He had great insights…and stories.
RIP, Sir.

Free cab ride to the top.

RIP, dude

Sad news, indeed.

RIP, Cabbie.

I’m so very sad to hear this. Cabbie was a poster here when I first found this site many years ago. His posts were always thoughtful and interesting and I’ll really miss his presence here.

When you are part of this community for long enough, it begins to feel like family. Cabbie was definitely part of our family. I will miss him.

This is sad.

He was one of the posters I noticed earliest when I began hanging out here.

RIP, Cabbie.

You contributed a great deal to this board over a whole lot of years.

rIP

SL Cabbie was a great contributor to this board, and his posts are worth going back to read.

His loss is deeply felt.

Tyson

Sad. He picked me up at the airport after I returned from a business trip. I had already found this site and saw his postings. I didn't know it was him until he started asking where I was from, how do I like Utah, etc. Eventually the conversation got around to mormonism and my good mormon jerk neighbors. He told me about RfM. I said I know this site and then I said "You aren't SL Cabbie, are you?" He laughed and then we talked about mormonism the rest of the ride. We kept in touch via email, but kinda slowed in the last 18 months. Cool guy. He will be missed. And, yes, his name is Randy.

With his passing so too passes another era of RfM. Maybe he has now all the certifications of truth he seemed to think he had for a lot of his postings.

I tried the email correspondence with him but upon reaching our first disagreement it was over. Condolences to his daughter. He loved her very much.

I'll dedicate my alcoholic abstaining to his memory. Don't have a drink for him.

I won't have a drink with you. We will not drink together. How fitting.

I met up with him in SLC. I wanted him to take me on a tour of where some obscure Mormon happenings happened. Instead, we ended up at the Lighthouse bookstore, where they seemed to know him well.

In my opinion, he was a tortured soul, with a lot of conflicts.

He liked to talk about his association with various authors of Mormon stuff. It was hard for me to persuade him that I valued his company for himself, and not for his friendships with Mormon historians. In fact, I don't think I persuaded him. He was worth getting to know for his own sake.

I reached out to him when my sister died very suddenly, very unexpectedly. He knew what to say when there really isn't anything to say to make it better. He made it better all the same.

Like I say, he came across as a very tortured soul, possessed by demons he couldn't control, tho he did conquer his alcoholism. He even offered to buy me a drink, but the bartender checked my ID and informed me that I was too old to drink. As if I didn't already know.

We talked about rare and obscure episodes in Mormon history.

He was fun to talk to.

I will miss him.

Okay. I will try to share a memory of Randy. The memory is clear, but I am not real organized, so what follows may be a bit scattered.

I contacted SL Cabbee, because I knew he was a cab driver in SLC with an interest in Mormonism and there were a few places I wanted him to drive me to, and maybe we could visit with each other along the way.

Among other things, I wanted him to drive me to the house where Author Annalee Skarin claims she was translated. (Lori Vallow was not the first Mormon lady to get herself translated.) I would like to go into that story in another thread, but this thread is about Randy.

As we exchanged e-mails it became clear that Randy was very proud of his friendship with Will Bagley. It was Will this, Will that, and on and on. He wanted me and him and Will to have lunch together at Lamb's Grill. That sounded cool. He also wanted me to buy Will's book "Blood of the Prophets," so will could autograph it, so I got on Amazon and ordered me the cheapest one.

When the book came, I saw it was an ex-library book, and did not want to ask Will to autograph it, but Randy insisted. I was so rattled that I left the book on the hood of Randy's car as I fished around in my purse for parking meter money, but when I discovered what I had done, Randy ran to the cab to get it. This was his big moment, I guess his huge gift to me. Will Bagley autographing a book just for me.

We walked to Will's small cramped office, crammed full of books. Will Bagley himself was small and frail looking, but he looked right at home in that office amid the piles of books. It seemed a shame to pull him out of that office where he seemed so at home (I don't think it had any windows) but we were there to take him to lunch, so off we went to Lamb's Grill.

Randy led the way, which was a Good Thing, since downtown sure had changed since I was a denizen of SLC. Twisting, turning, thru newly built pathways, and then, there we were -- Lamb's Grill!

Will, was friendly and affable and a good conversationalist and so was Randy. I tried hard to keep up. I remembered Lamb's Grill from my youth, and I thought it had closed years ago, but it hadn't.

So it was a lively conversation. I don't know who was trying to impress whom, but I think we all impressed each other. My area of expertise in Things Mormon was the Dream Mine and the Hole in the Rock expedition, so the gentlemen accommodated themselves to those topics and a good time was had by all. Of course, the food was delicious.

I remember Will looked very frail, and he was very careful about what he ate. I think he had diabetes. I wished I had paid more attention, because now I have diabetes, and now I am turning into a frail old lady who must be very careful about what she eats. No fun.

I don't remember what we did next but we didn't drive to any of the addresses where I wanted to go. I think we went straight to the Lighthouse Bookstore, where the personnel there seemed to know Randy very well. I bought lots of books, Randy visited with the staff.

I will say this for Randy: He was able to deep-dive into the heart of a complete stranger. I couldn't believe the things I was telling him about myself. He, likewise, revealed everything about his past, his personal romantic life, his family -- everything. We were connecting very deeply very quickly. It was a bit unnerving. All I wanted to do was book a tour and we weren't touring, but boy were we talking.

Anyway, I looked him up whenever I went to SLC, which I don't go there very often. Randy looked worse and worse. Very tired, very frail looking, very shabbily dressed. I remember on one occasion his shoes weren't even tied. I kept wanting to rescue him, take him home, make him take a bath, but him new clothes, buy him the kind of shoes that didn't have laces.

But despite all that, anyone who spent ten minutes with him could see that he was intelligent, intuitive, insightful, you name it. I really enjoyed his company.

And he will be missed.

P.S. Lamb's Grill really is closed now so carpe diem everyone. Grab those unique experiences while you can. Janis Joplins said that, didn't she? Only she didn't say Carpe Diem, she said "Get it while you can," which amounts to the same thing.

Lois, I was reading this from bottom to top as I scrolled upward. Before I saw your name, I thought you wrote this. You’re a pretty impressive person, your own self.

I agree. Very easy reading.

I also found him to be a bit tortured. He sure loved his family and his daughter and was a terrific champion of the AA method of tackling alcoholism.

I think AA was his religion.

He was a devout follower and I respected him for it.

I have been wondering about him and where he had gone. Now I know. He was one of my favorite posters.

Interesting that others describe him as "tortured". So true.

I only knew Randy through email but did a lot of texting with him. He was intuitive, analytical, had great command of the language, well-read, yet something held him back from realizing his own worth. He always seemed to couch his responses with reference to someone else "important", like on his own he wasn't good enough.

Both his parents were accomplished and he revered them. But he lacked something essential to his own self-esteem. He tried to make up for it with "name dropping" as if who he knew was more important than who he was on his own. I suggested that to him once, wondering why he wasn't pursuing a career worthy of his knowledge and he got very upset.. It obviously triggered something painful and I was deeply sorry.

The good news and the bad news about a forum like RFM is that we get to know each other. But we also fail to know each other.

Twinker Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The good news and the bad news about a forum like
> RFM is that we get to know each other. But we also
> fail to know each other.

Profound, Twinker

I didn't want to mention it, but that was exactly it. He never relied on his own opinions. It was always "this expert who knows me" says this or that.

The name dropping you mentioned, plus me being a fully licensed counselor, and him claiming to be a counselor while not really ever being one, turned me off to him.

But reading everyone else's experience with him on this thread makes me think that I must have missed something valuable.

Looking back through old emails with Cabbie I found this:

"I don't know whether the Resurrection is going to happen anytime soon, but some LDS skeletons are sure up and walking around..."

Love it.

Does anyone know what killed him ?

So very sorry to hear of his passing. It is hard to believe I've been browsing RfM since early 2005. Even though I havent met many of you IRL, hearing of certain posters deaths makes me feel like I've lost an old friend.

I will NOT raise a glass in honor of your sober life!

Adam

He was a great guy.

SL Cabbie taught us all so much. His recovery from addiction reflected his courage and tenacity. He was thoughtful and articulate. We are worse off for our loss.

Thanks Cabbie. You will be missed.

HH =)

Ouch.

BcE

Like everybody else on this thread, I'm very sorry to read this. Cabbie gave some great insights, and I especially liked the posts he wrote based on his conversations with Will Bagley. RIP!

Before this closes, happy fares Kabbee. I hope you get to drive all those brighter ones in our shared historical firmament around in the afterlife. That would probably be your version of heaven.

Peace.

Anyone remember what he said about his "bull chip" detector?

I am saddened to learn of Cabbie's passing. We emailed for a brief time and he had told me that he had hoped to make a visit to southern Utah and would plan to stop in for a visit when he did. Alas, that will never happen now. I loved his posts as he was so articulate and had a wonderful command of language. I plan to spend some time reading his old posts. Rest in Peace, Randy. You will be missed :(

I drove cab back in the late 70s, early 80s, and for a while
shortly after I "retired" in 2012--just as ride share began the destruction of the taxi industry. I wonder if Randy owned his cab and his taxi medallion (or license), and if the value crash contributed to his decline. I read of taxi owner-operators committing suicide over this.

So, in honor SLCabbie, a snippet from a piece of fiction I'm working on. The scene is set in January, 1967:

++++

They exited the TWA terminal to a cold and dank evening. It had snowed in New York, the white stuff now gray, half-frozen slush shoved into furrows and piles. Still in heels, Joan worked cautiously through the mess. Marty summoned a taxi from the cab stand. The driver popped the trunk and tossed their bags in. They climbed inside; the cabbie eased into traffic.
“Long-term parking lot,” Marty instructed.
The cabbie stopped short. “Get out!” he barked. “I didn’t wait two hours in the cab line for a one-mile job!”
“You’re taking us to the extended parking lot in Revere,” Marty said in even, carefully enunciated words, “Unless you want to explain this to the Port Authority Hackney Carriage office.”
The driver put the car back in drive with a grunt.
Joan slid close to Mike and cuddled up as the cabbie navigated the sloppy roads, muttering his unhappiness the entire way. The unplowed lot was covered in slop. Mike directed him to the specific aisle and “the turquoise Ford Victoria, which matches the eyes of the most beautiful girl in the world.”
“Great,” grumbled the hack as he pulled up. “A poet.”
“Problem?” Marty asked. He lifted Joan out of the taxi and carried her to the Ford’s passenger seat.
“Artsy types don’t tip.” He dropped their bags in the muck, very unceremoniously.
“I’m a scientist, not a poet, and not the least bit artsy,” Marty said and pulled three tens from his money clip.
“Wow—thanks, thanks, sir—I’m, I'm sorry—I didn’t—I mean—” He scooped the bags out of the slush. “Here, lemme put ‘em in your trunk.”
Which he did, as Marty cleared his car’s windshield.
“Thanks, thanks a lot!” he exclaimed. With a finger salute to his cap, he took off.
Marty got behind the wheel. “Next stop, Barnard College.”
“Let’s go to that seafood place,” Joan said.
“It’s outside seating. And still winter, in case you didn’t notice.”
“Just for some chowder? I could go for some chowder."

++++++++

RIP, one eternity at a time, Randy!

So sad to read this, had hoped to meet him some day.

So sorry, he was such a memorable character.

A free ride to that great land on the other side

He paid his faire

RIP it up SLC

Miss you Cabbie!
Hope your last fare tipped you well!

May I add my condolences.
I always enjoyed his comments and posts.
If there is a resurection may he rise in the glorious dawn therof

So sorry to hear this. My sincere condolences to his family and to all those who cared about him. Cabbie would occasionally come and visit with us, with me at our St. Judas the Traitor 1st Ward meetups over the years. I always enjoyed his insight, thoughts and conversation. He will be missed.

I'm very sorry to hear of that. I enjoyed and appreciated his posts.

Honk honk, Cabbie!

So sorry to hear. I had many interactions years ago ref MMM. RIP ex-Mormon warrior!

We have close ties with our secret friendships. Some of us are at such a distance we have/will never meet but we share so much.

The loss of one of our friends touches us. I enjoyed the Cabbie’s contributions. Especially “ A free cab ride to the top” He will be missed.

What sad news. I've enjoyed his posts over the years. Hopefully he and Deenie the dreaded single adult are sharing memories and RfM stories together, wherever it is we go when we die.

Oh no! I missed this. Cabbie and I had lunch together way back on one of my trips to SLC. We communicated now and then, and saw him at an Exmo conference or two.

Just the other day I was thinking about him. Yes, his name was Randy.

We had lunch at the Market Street Grill. I don't remember much about what we talked about, except that he had his daughter for the weekend or a few days, and his mother was an artist. I loved his posts. So sorry, Cabbie.

I did find his obituary. Thanks to RFM for letting us know about our loss. So very sorry I did't keep up with you, Cabbie,



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/14/2022 12:44AM by Phantom Shadow.

I am heartbroken to read this today. I was caring for my dying husband in the last years and lost touch with so many old friends, Randy is one of them. Cabbie and I were penpals, RfM boardie friends, and grew up on the same old playgrounds, with many of the same old playmates. May he rest in peace.

Hello wings.

I'm sorry for your distress, on both counts, your husband and now hearing this news about a friend.

No doubt about it, as a friend of mine often said, life is tough and then you die. Sometimes I can laugh at that thought and other times cry. It's as good a summary of life, though, as any I've heard, seeming more true on some days and less on good days.

Sometimes the only consolation, and hopefully it helps most days, is that one way or another, yes, our loved one/good friend is at peace.

Be good to yourself today, wings, and every day.

It's nice to see you, although I'm sorry for the sad news you've come across.

Hello Nighty..so nice to see you and so many long-time RfM friends here honoring our old boardie, Cabbie. Thank you for the ever-present, good advice...and your wisdom.

I met Randy years ago at the exmo conferences and meetups in SLC and maintained a frequent "lunch at Village Inn" friendship. He loved the exmo community and mentioned you, "wings" often and with delight about the connection between you both. I miss his endless and entertaining stories about not only his family, but friends, AA buddies, therapy, and his passion for history. He loved all the technical stuff about DNA and Lamanites.

I knew he was not in general good health, but proud of his sobriety. I only learned if his death by visiting here at RfM. The last I interacted with Randy was September 2021 when our mutual friend Will Bagley passed away and I attempted to meet up with Randy to attend Will's memorial service but Randy said he would not be able to make it.

I still of Randy often and am sad that I did not get to say a formal goodbye to him. He was a colorful character and I'm glad for our many hours of time spent together.

Hey cricket... thanks for your post and kind words to me. For some reason, I think circa 2006-07, during the Big Love days, I met up with you, Cabbie, toto, and shoot, I forgot her RfM forum name, but her IRL name starts with an L...at Market Street. L and I just happened to be in town at the same time, both from out of state. Cabbie organized the get-together that night.

He talked of cricket to me, often, as well.

Putting faces to names was enlightening, and the endless conversation was comforting. I also felt safe with all of you. I've kept up with "L" more regularly than anyone else from the board, but have been off the board so long that I've forgotten her RfM name, too. I send my love to you.

Damn. That's sad news.

It appears that more than a few of us had private pen-pal relationships with the Cabbie. What a unique guy!

Wow, I will miss his posts. RIP Cabbie.

He was friends with Will Bagley, who also left us not long ago. These men will be missed.

Cabbie would be thrilled with this response. He would have been happy to know that so many people remember and think well of him and that he meant a lot to many RfMers.

As an old timer who only drops in on occasion, I was sad to see this in the message list. SL Cabbie was an interesting, unique personality and I always enjoyed his posts. May he rest in peace. My condolences to his family and friends, both IRL and here in cyberspace.

Sounds like the guy caught the vision and improved himself and his knowledge over the years. We are all drops in a big ocean and frankly for most of us, the world isn't going to give one damn that we are gone. It's the people who knew us who care. Looks like Cabbie has a lot of people here who appreciated him. They say if you can count your real friends on two hands before you exit this world you have done well.

Well he went off to wherever you go. The big mystery. What we all argue over and religions fight over. All that stuff you can get caught up in and waste your time and life in. I wish we could get a report from Cabbie. What's going on? Is there a God? Was he happy to see you or pissed? Is all the stuff in the Bible bullshit? Ah it would be great to know.

Anyways Cabbie lived a full life. It is what it is and if people miss you, you did ok. Beats Hi Ho the bastard is dead. Also good to leave people with sadness and not the desire to celebrate you are gone. Anyways, I've read his posts over the years. Appreciated his take on things. Cabby is missed and even though it's sad, it means he touched a few people.

RIP Cabbie.

I hope come February 2023 Cabbie isn't being worked for...

How sad.

Cabbie was one of the first acquaintances I made when I stumbled in here 20 years ago.

I've made a lot of friends here over the years but Randy was one of the truest and best.

I've said it before and I'll say it once more Big Guy.......

"Thanks for the mamaries".

Beautiful, simple, yet so poignant Elder Berry.
Ditto!
We are human!!!
I will miss SL Cabbie's wisdom and humor and his amazing smarts!

He's been joined by Will Bagley, a distant relative of mine, but very accessible guy. They are NOT in the celestial kingdom. There has to be a better place.

R.I.P. Cabbie.

That's a nice way of looking at it. May both RIP.

Cabbie would have been so gratified to see these messages continuing month after month. He might even have allowed the use of his IRL name!

I was just thinking that! Yes, he sure would have been.

We should speak his name. That is work for the dead I can get behind.

Very sad news.

A very knowledgeable poster, who I remember from my earliest days on the board (as an active TBM back then!) 20'ish years ago.

RIP Cabbie.