The Universe of Bagpipes?

[MichaelR.S.]

Does anybody know if the online store The Universe of Bagpipes is still going?

The site is still up, but when I tried to call the number listed a message says it's not in service. I sent an email and it's been several days with no response. The guy that runs it, Oliver (I forget his last name), is usually pretty good about getting back right away.

[Andrew Lenz]

Sadly, Oliver passed away on October 20, last year.

Here's one of a few memorials online:
https://www.fhwsolutions.com/fhws/te...?obit_id=92822

Andrew

[pancelticpiper]

I probably met him, but I can't picture him now.

I used to teach at Lark Camp in Mendocino every summer, back in the 1980s, and he probably would have been in attendance.

[MichaelR.S.]

Originally Posted by Andrew Lenz

Sadly, Oliver passed away on October 20, last year.

Here's one of a few memorials online:
https://www.fhwsolutions.com/fhws/te...?obit_id=92822

Andrew

Oh crap. I was kind of afraid it was something like that. Really nice and helpful guy.

Has anybody taken over the business or is it just kind of left hanging?
If not taken down, somebody should at least put some sort of notice on the web site.

[Pip01]

With Condolences to His Family and Our Community,

With Andrew's post... I am just now learning of
this... and it is a hard blow.

Though we had never met in person... over time... we
had spoken several times on the phone... and I had
sent many people to his shop... who were newly in his
area.

An absolutely First Class Fellow!!... both in his person...
and in his work...

He is... and shall be... greatly missed...

Pip01

[Kevin Palm]

Same here, this is the first I've heard of his passing! :-(

[Lucas W. Visagie]

I bought my very first Dunbar practice chanter and full set of Bagpipe Solutions by John Cairns from him.

Later also my set of Dunbars.

Very sad to hear indeed.

[MichaelR.S.]

Yeah, the above related experiences had been mine with him over some years as well since 2006.

After I discovered his site and made contact with him once he was generally my first stop for advice and what minor supplies I would need.

I repeated one of the comments above by getting my Dunbar Millennium 2000 PC from him and The Green Book and that tutorial series from John and of course he turned me on to Dunbar.

I wonder how it was he came to pass? I don't know anything about his family or not, so I hope he had whatever kind of support he needed toward the end, however it came. I'm in California but not close to where he lived. My loss for never haven't gotten the chance to meet him.

Weird how the web site is still just hanging out there.
And I guess nobody is monitoring the old email address, because I've sent one since learning about his passing and haven't received a reply.

[Andrew Lenz]

Originally Posted by MichaelR.S.

Weird how the web site is still just hanging out there. And I guess nobody is monitoring the old email address...

I often wonder how things would go should I kick the bucket. Would my website(s) get updated to reflect my passing? Or would I continue to get email after I'm left this mortal coil?

Unless Oliver handed over his website access information to someone, it'll likely just stay like it is until the domain name doesn't get renewed or hosting bill isn't paid and his website becomes inaccessible.

I don't know what his family situation is . . . does he have siblings? He was in his mid-70s, so I suspect his folks are deceased.

Does anyone have contact information for his family?

Andrew

[1911 guy]

I recently learned of his passing. I, too, bought my first "good" (as opposed to cheaply made) PC from him. Then I bought the Bagpipe Solutions from him. Then Kitchen Pipes. Then my wife bought me a set of Dunbar P1 pipes from him, which I still have and play often.

I had cause to speak with him on the phone several times and he was always helpful, friendly and in general a first-class fellow. His website is a thing of beauty, so much information accumulated in one place.

He will be missed.