I'm am very sorry to be the bearer of sad news but Ron Philipps.... AKA The Ron Man.... has passed away. He died a little after noon today at the Intermountain Hospital in Salt Lake City Utah from the results of a stroke. His wife Carol wanted you all to know that his friends from the forum were one of the last things he had on his mind as he passed away and she asked me to thank you all for being such a huge part of his life and being his friend. Ron truly loved the forum and jumped at the chance to share his knowledge. He will be cremated and will have a very small private service. Ron befriended me almost 2 years ago on my first pastrami smoke and I have had a lot of laughs and fun with him as well as benefiting from his knowledge. He was my friend. This is a very sad day for Rebecca and I. Please keep Carol in your thoughts and prayers. He will certainly be missed. With 5433 posts... it's pretty obvious how much time and energy he spent here. This is a link to his profile and his threads. http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/user/ronp