In Memoriam
Paul Izbicki

The IMUG lost a wonderful member and friend in August 2013.

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Paul Izbicki was part of the International Media Users Group from almost the beginning. He will be fondly remembered for his sharp wit and good humor. We will miss him dearly. Below we've put together just a small sample of our time with Paul.

A little history on Paul Izbicki as written by Paul:
My grandmother on mom's side was from Constantinople (Istanbul). She married an Irish soldier during/after WWI, and was disowned by her family. He got gassed and never fully recovered. After he died, and because of lack of work in Dublin, she moved the kids (1 boy, 3 girls) to London, during WWII, just in time for the V1 and V2 bombings.

It was no Blitzkrieg by then-it was a knockdown, drag-out battle for survival. My mom met a US soldier, my father-to-be, there. He wooed her with rare canned food and rations for the family. (Spam and eggs, Spam with beans, Spam Spam Spam Spam?) as he was in food service, a Mess Sgt. He went off to help win the war, came back, married her and they moved to America to settle in, then sent for the rest of the family. We came to the US when I was 2. I was adopted at age 10.

Always told I was adopted from an orphanage, my Mom told the truth just after Dad died, when I took her to see her sister in Florida: she, Ellen, was my aunt, and I was the son of her sister, Mamie, who didn't want a kid. I took my adopted Dad's name.

Mom never told me the truth because my birth mother, her sister, contacted her as I got older, demanding I be returned so I could go to work and help support her. Scared and then angered mom so much they never
talked again after one brief trip for attempted reconciliation by mom. She fessed up only after Mamie died.


Hello, I must be going. I cannot stay,
I came to say
I must be going.
I'm glad I came
but just the same
I must be going.
'Groucho Marx'

See you around now! (Paul Izbicki 'iPaul')

Except from the 1999 article:

100,000 GEEK-BOYS CAN'T BE WRONG:
MAKE FRIENDS, CREATE LEGENDS, CRASH PARTIES, WIN A BUCKET OF NICKELS.
BY LESLIE STROM

One person I had wanted to meet for two years was Paul Izbicki who had just arrived from Boston. He, like many of us, made the Stardust his first stop, with another friend. Tom Hergert, who seems to know everyone, called to them from our table. I was enjoying the opportunity to match the familiar personality with the new face in what is commonly known as "lurker" mode. I lurked for about 10 seconds, as Sarah and Beth mercifully introduced themselves to him. Paul did some quick math and determined who I was and walked around the table behind me, kissed me, and sat down to a waiting gin and tonic like we might have a hundred times if our cyber-meetings had been live. The man is adorable. Lurking is fun, I decided, but sitting in a nice Las Vegas bar in good company is far better.

Full article here: http://www.lostintelligencer.com/dumbass/1999/9906nab99/nab99.html

Some of the posts to the IMUG Email list on the passing of Paul Izbicki:

Paul was a good man, a quick wit, a loyal friend, and a great foe of pretension. He was the type of fellow you may not see for a long time, then when you catch up it would seem like it was only days. He will be missed, but I expect he's laughing it up with Michael Vitti somewhere...

R I π, old friend.

Jim Kanter

I'm extremely saddened by this news.
Paul was an immense force for good in the IMUG community, and was highly instrumental in the birth of the IMUG NAB event.
In 1998 Chuck Fazio and I put together the first events of what would become our annual NAB tradition. A very short time after getting home from Vegas, with the sudden realization that we had just identified a serious need for a proper user group, I set about the work of prepping and forming a team to do just that. Chuck resigned pretty much instantly, which was fine, as it wasn't really his thing.

A HUGE gap-filler, partner, and host/emcee of the 1999 IMUG event (hosting panel discussions before dinner no less!) was Paul Izbicki. He remained on the IMUG event team for several years after that and has always been a huge force for good in this community.

May he rest in peace.
Carey Dissmore

Sad indeed. Paul ran the video department at Fidelity in Boston for a number of years. He longed to leave the stress of that sort of work and he seemed to have found a second and less stressful life in Tennessee. He was a witty and perceptive observer of the changes we all have witnessed these last two decades and he helped many young filmmakers over the years.
He'll be missed....RIP iPaul

Paul Holzman

This is very sad news.

I also have very fond memories of Paul. He was integral to our events early on, and always a source of good humor and camaraderie.

A sober reminder of how fleeting our days are. Rest in peace iPaul.

Dan Bracken

I'm in shock. Paul was a gem of a guy. Always willing to help, and with wisecracks no extra charge!

Dan Spiess

I'll remember Paul for his wicked sense of humour and wit.

Always, always enjoyed his company. He was just one of those people that was fun to be around.

Couple times a few Imuggers rented Harleys at NAB and explored the surrounds of Vegas. Paul liked his bikes.

I only ever had the chance to see Paul at NAB and MMBs and that was never enough. I had been encouraging him to get back to an NAB after several years of absence.
Not to be.

Steve Griffiths

I met iPaul 13 years ago and we had an instant connection. He always had a way of making me laugh with his satire and quick wit. He would poke you and
push you and then hug you! As Steve said, he loved his bikes and I was privileged to ride with him several times in the mountains around Las Vegas.
The last time we went we were all coming down the pass and the temps were warming rapidly. iPaul slung his riding jacket wide open and the rest of us followed; a group of middle-aged guys soaring down the highway looking like balloons!

He had a wonderful way of getting his point across and I will miss my friend
greatly. I tried to get him to NAB as well and he was too busy.
I am grateful for the wonderful friends and comrades on this amazing list we call home. iSad....

RIP my friend,

Dean Forss

Incredibly sad news...my thoughts to his family and for all of us in the community...

Doug Blush

I don't really believe it yet.

One of my great pleasures at IMUG is to just sit around and listen to (and learn) from fellow IMUGGERs as they talk about their projects. Though Paul hasn't made the event for a few years, he was one of my favorites.

Tim J

Wow. Wow. Sincerest condolences first and foremost to his family, and certainly his friends both 'virtual' and in 'real' life.

Lest those of us who remain take nothing else from his long standing in this community, note his post from April 24 of this year:

"Many of my peers are at the age where old comrades are starting to
drop off. I'm grateful to wake each morning, albeit with the need for
a dose of Ibuprofen. ( Trying to get back into jogging, HA!)"

....take care of yourselves, IMUG'ers... Jog, take your ibuprofen,
whatever it takes. Once again, Paul has shown us too vividly that
life is a moment-to-moment proposition with no guarantees.

Robert Walker

Everybody who's been on here for any length of time knows I have a "thing" about PBS affiliates competing with private production companies. Well that was all Paul needed to know to bust my chops from time to time about PBS over about 15 years. All in good fun for sure. I don't think I fully "got" him until I met him at NAB and he was as nice as could be and so warm and made a PBS reference or two and we had a nice laugh. Really nice guy and one of many I met over the years at the IMUG event. Really sorry I didn't get another chance to see him again in Vegas.

RIP iPaul.

Mike Gorga

I never met the man but very sad to hear none the less ....

And it makes you reflect on one's own life and when do you reach the point of knowing more people dead than alive. When I was 20 it wasn't even on my radar .....

A friend of mine's grandmother ran a dude ranch out west,
After 40 years of running it she sold it.
As they were driving away my friend commented, grandma you didn't look back.
She said "it's someone else's dream now ..."

Jim Haba

I am so shocked.
I've got fond memories of flying to Boston where Paul was taking me to see one of the first HD showings of Perfect Storm.
RIP dear friend.


Steve Kahn

Wow, sad and a shock. I met iPaul several times in person. Really brings home how separate our online life can be from real life... That when he's gone it's so abrupt and disconnected.

Marion Abrams

With respects… iSad.

Rob Birnholz

One or the Original IMUGER'S. He will be missed by all.
R.I.P. iPaul.
Peace.

Richard Mills

Very sad. Paul always had a way of staying so Zen. His levity would be quite welcome about now.

Jeffrey Handy

Sad indeed. He was very much liked in this community. My condolences to his family and friends.

Ben Daube

I remember the day that Paul Announced that he would be called iPaul from this day forward. What a unique individual with a keen eye for BS. He is the reason I went with the Lumix camera and AF100 and he was very correct in his assessment. Best ergonomics and ease-of-use for me thank you Ipaul. Hopefully he's sitting at the bar in the Stardust Hotel enjoying a martini.

John Marshall

Oh no. That is just so sad.

Philip Hodgetts

Like many I never met Paul but appreciated his wit from afar for many years. Condolences to all.

Cliff Hughes

What terribly sad news to start the week. Paul truly was an iPillar of the IMUG community.

Mike Raff

Saddened to hear the news. He will be missed.

Dave Bittner

This is so sad. Paul was an institution on this list for as long as I can remember. I will miss his voice and humor . RIP.

Robert Griffiths

I only met Paul a few brief times at the IMUG MMB in Vegas and new him better from his always funny and helpful posts on this list. I remember back to the early days when I was just learning the ins and outs of my first M100 and he so often responded to my calls for help. IMUG has lost one of its shining stars and we are all saddened by its passing.

RIP iPaul

Donald Dulmage

He's also why I still exercise and teach karate on weekends. He always reminded me that "Ya gotta stay balanced". . .

Damn.

Geoff Briggs

Oh man. So sorry to hear that. iPaul was a bastion of help and humor for so many years. I'll miss his voice for sure!

Eric Darling

I'm so sorry to hear about this..... Paul was an amazing guy..... I have not seen him in a few years but I often thought about him..... media production and motorcycling on his FJR!

R

Very sad to hear this. It is a loss to all of us. My deepest condolences to his family.

Diego Schaaf

I met Paul a few times at Boston user groups before I settled in with Boris. Really nice guy -- condolences to all who knew him.

Emile Tobenfield

I always felt a a bit of a virtual connection to Paul due to his sharp and sometimes acerbic wit.

I wish I had a chance to say goodbye, Mr. ∏. Learn 'em well.

Mike Hazarian

What a shock. I, all of us, will miss Paul. Rest in Peace, my Friend.

Ronnie Day

A truly nice person to know. He will be greatly missed. Very sad to hear the news.

Karl Newman

I'm so sad to hear this. iPaul was a really nice guy, and selfless resource for all on this list. He will be greatly missed.

David Knight