At the dawn of November, my good friend Daniel Taraschke passed away. It was a very unexpected death, one with no warning or precursor. Not unlike an automobile death, he was there the night before and gone the next.

‘Big Danny T’ was a mainstay at many of the conventions I’ve frequented over the years, and his reputation proceeded him to many more. He was an accomplished photographer, MC, comedian, just generally pretty omnicompetent.

More than his experience and know-how, though, was his well-earned and deserved reputation for being one of the friendliest and nicest people you are ever to meet. I’ve never in my life met somebody who had any disparaging remark to make about Danny. Quite the opposite. Every person I knew who had met him thought the world of him.

His passing has been pretty upsetting.

I don’t know what it is, but Death seems to have been busy of late. Danny wasn’t the only one to leave us recently. My social media has been abuzz with death after death of close, personal friends and family. 2014 was marred early on with the passing of an angel, and it seems that trend has continued.

I was going to see Danny at AMA 1/2 next weekend. We’d made plans to do some photos and get some dinner. Catch up. You know, the usual.

I’m really going to miss him.