Merv Bortner has passed away

[Teal]

Gabby posted this on Joe's Board but since he was such an integral part of early Reel Talk, I thought it should be announced here, too.

I knew he was bed ridden for a long time, but no one I know loved reels more than The Reelman.

http://www.joesoldlures.com/wwwboard//m ... 10106.html

God speed, Merv.

-- Dr. Todd

[joe klaus]

Really sorry to hear the news about Merv. He was truly one of the good guys.

[Brian F.]

Thank you, Todd, and it is really sad news. But I know Merv is at peace after he suffered for so long.
People should know how much he did for ORCA to keep the ship going, web presence wise, during a time when there was no outside help. We are fortunate that he was there to bridge the gap as web admin to help get ORCA to where we are today. And he did all of that while going through significant illness. Thank you, Merv, and rest well.

[john elder]

I second all that Brian said. Merv lived through the early days when the board was pretty defenseless against hackers and spammers. He spent endless hours fending them off to keep our board useable for the rest of us. Merv also served as our librarian for hard cover books we used to have available for members. He was a true asset to the club and certainly deserved a better fate... died much too young. RIP, Merv

J