Gregg Allinson Obituary

I still think about Gregg so fondly. He was a very special young man beloved by so many. Love to his family and my prayers for your healing.

Hi Cynthia,

Knowing that Gregg touched your life in a positive way is a blessing. Thanks for remembering him. I know you share our grief and I hope knowing that we will all see him again someday can give you a small amount of comfort. In this, we are one family.

Dear Gail,

My heart goes out to you and to all of Gregg's wonderful family. He was such a special young man. He is missed by so many.

Hey Gregg. You left us 5 years ago today. We miss you. We love you. I will never stop loving you. Love never ends. Love, Mom

I also find myself thinking about Gregg often. I'm a librarian, and I had the pleasure of working with Gregg at the Forest Park Library. What a joy he was.

I miss him. He was one of those special people I will never forget, but I also trust I will be seeing him again when it is my turn to pass over.

Hi Gregg, I still find myself thinking of you often...especially when playing Matthew Sweet, and knowing the songs you loved. Hope you are resting in peace, and your spirit visiting us. Hugs...

My thoughts and prayers are with all of you today. May God bless you and give you strength and comfort on this anniversary. Peace be with you!

My thoughts and prayers are with you all during this time of remembrance. May all your memories comfort you.

I feel extremely saddened and guilty to report that I only now discovered the news of Gregg’s passing. I was recently contacted by some friends whom I had worked with at the Columbia College Writing Center via a social networking site. This of course made me think of Gregg since this was where we had first met, and I attempted to find news of him online only to be shocked and disheartened by discovering his death notice.

Gregg and I were both somewhat shy and introverted people with strong Internet presences, so I sometimes find it amazing that we met and began dating almost all in “real life.” As many people have pointed out, it was difficult not to be impressed by Gregg’s incredibly sharp and detailed memory and intelligence, from his encyclopedic knowledge of comic books to the personal things he would remember about you. It was also easy for me to notice him the first time I started really talking to him because he had bright pink hair. In addition, we were both writers and big movie fans, and I remember his ability to make many people in the writing center laugh, especially with his impressions of the voices from Space Ghost.

It was very apparent after our first few conversations that Gregg lived in his own carefully constructed world of elaborate pop-culture references and idiosyncratic passions, which grew easier to understand the longer one knew him. He was very opinionated and I knew the most important things to him right away, from the Smiths to punk rock to his greatest love, comics. A couple of weeks after I met him, he let me borrow his Invisibles trade paperback, and although our tastes did not always align, I still consider that to be my favorite comic series of all time. I will always attribute my appreciation of Grant Morrison and Jack Kirby in particular to Gregg and the things he taught me.

The last e-mail I received from Gregg was an upbeat letter about how much he enjoyed working in a public library, closed with his signature “Au Bon Pain,” and it made me smile. It does not surprise me in the least that Gregg decided to become a librarian: his aptitude for helping people, bright imagination, and inclination toward storytelling all would have been fulfilled by this line of work. As I finish my master’s degree in library science next week and enjoy my full-time job at the Chicago Public Library, I feel especially sad that we could not have someday been colleagues sharing ideas about writing and comics in the library.

I never expect someone my age to die so tragically young. In the back of my mind, I always thought I’d run into Gregg sometime again in the future, at a comic event or library conference or someplace else. What I regret the most is that in the many times it crossed my mind, I never sent him an e-mail in the last few years to ask him how he was doing. It never even occurred to me the next time I had the inclination to do it he wouldn’t be around anymore. I express my sincere condolences to his family and friends who have lost such a truly unique person, and I feel lucky to have known him for the time that I did. I can only hope you will accept these overdue remembrances, and I will donate to the library in his honor.

---Sharon Gissy

May 14 would have ben Gregg's 30th birthday, Happy birthday Gregg I miss you tremendously. Love you forever, Dad

Gregg, like so many, died so young. We can all work to help those in need, reach out and say we care.
charlie

I only just heard about Gregg's passing from a mutual friend. I worked with Gregg at the Forest Park Library and kept in loose contact with him after he left. Just the other day I wondered when I'd get another email with that familiar "Au Bon Pain."

Add me to the long list of SF fans who will miss him, his sense of humor, and his tremendous memory for detail. I'll add to that list his generosity. He went to a convention a few years ago, and got a DVD set signed by Joss Whedon. He knew that I couldn't go, so when he got back he traded it for my unsigned copy.

I count myself lucky to have known him. My thoughts go to his family, thank you for producing such a wonderful person.

Greg and his Mom spent a lot of time with my son Michael and I when they were little. I am so sad to hear of his passing and give my love to his family.

I met and knew Gregg from Columbia College Chicago. I attended 97-02. We spoke occasionally, and had a mutual friend named Harold. I remember when Harold was moving out of his house. Well, Harold had hyped me up about his move, and asked if I could help him move. Of course I agreed, because it sounded like quite a few hands would be available to help. Turns out, the movers were Harold, I and Gregg. Now I'm not a big guy, and Harold has a few hundred-thousand comic books. Needless to say, we had a heck of a time that day; Gregg and I were pushing our physical capabilities. Boy, I just seen Gregg in October for the "Twilight Tales" reading; Day before Halloween. I am very sorry to hear about Gregg's passing. My condolences to everyone Gregg's life has touched, especially to his family, friends and coworkers. May he rest in peace. God Bless.

I'm sorry I never met Gregg. We spoke very much for some time on the internet. I always laughed and felt much better. I really felt he cared, even if we never saw each other. I'll miss him a lot, and my thoughts are with his friends and family.

I was so sorry to hear about Gregg's death. I remember when Gregg was born. No baby was more loved. I have lost touch with the Allinson's over the years, and I can only imagine the unspeakble sorrow of losing a son and brother. My heart and prayers go out to the family.
Linda Fezekas

It's been a few days since I heard about Gregg's passing, and I still haven't adjusted. I find myself thinking of him a dozen times a day; when I was told that it would be 3 minutes until something was ready, when our tour guide had the weirdest laugh, when I kept seeing the same Patrick Stewart Christmas movie, when we were shopping for fabulous hats, etc. Still hard to believe he won't be around making life more entertaining.
I think we have it backwards. My condolences go out to those who never really got to know Gregg. His death is unbelievably painful, but it's a small price to pay for the joy of having had him in my life.

I had the pleasure of working with Gregg at the LaGrange Park Library every Saturday. Both of us really would have rather been elsewhere, but I actually began to look forward to Saturdays. I wanted to hear about his weekend and hand him movies that he needed to watch, as well as take home a pile of his recommendations. He was always nice enough to laugh at my goofy stories and bizarre sense of humor, as well as contribute his own funny stories. We would often email each other strange forwards or ideas. I soon began to notice that his emails to me had already opened and forwarded on to other people before I could even get to them. My husband was furtively opening his emails and sending them on to all of his friends at work. Not only that, but I was being instructed what to forward to Gregg… WWF wrestling quotes here, a strange Shatner head clock there. Gregg was truly a great guy, and I learned so much from him in such a short time. He taught me that the James Bond books were better than the movies, that Newsroom was on par with Curb Your Enthusiasm, that I needed to get back into Mystery Science Theatre, and most importantly that you should always go after your dreams because life can be so frighteningly short. As I know Gregg’s family and friends feel, I too regret that I didn’t have more time with Gregg. I will miss Gregg’s laugh, his unique bounce as he walked, and the way that he would raise his hand and nod his head to greet everyone as they entered the library. My sincere condolences to Gregg’s family and friends, and I will miss you terribly, Gregg.

I only knew Gregg online, via the John Byrne Forum, but that doesn't diminish or devalue our friendship in any way. He was a bright, caring, fun and funny man. He was my friend, and I'll miss him.

Dear Gail,
I was so sorry to hear of your loss. My condolences to you at this time of sorrow.
Ruth Frantz

Dear Gail,
Please accept our sincere sympathy in the loss of your wonderful son. You've always been such a caring mother, and the pain you must feel is beyond my comprehenion. Our thoughts are with you during this difficult time.

I was saddened to hear of Gregg's passing and my prayers will be with you. May God bless you in this time of sorrow.

I never had the pleasure of meeting Gregg, but I am a long time (internet wise, anyway ;) ) friend of his mother.
My heart bleeds for all of Gregg's family and friends. You are in my thoughts and prayers. Based on reading the other comments, the world has lost a warm, giving soul, and it hurts. Those who had the opportunity to know Gregg are the lucky ones. {{{ Gregg's family and friends}}}

Dear Allinson family;
I am so saddened by this news. Gregg was a wonderful young man and taken from this earth much too soon.

I knew Gregg from the 'Chronicles of Who' club, almost from the very beginning. We bumped into each other very often at the 'Visions' conventions in Chicago. His smiling face, his unique laugh and the adoration in his eyes for Sophie Aldred (Ace, from DrWho) always leave a smile in my heart.

He was a good man and always seemed to walk to his own drumbeat .. and I must admit, I admired him for walking around in pink hair. I haven't seen much of him in the last few years, but every memory of him has a special place in my heart.

My prayers are with you all at this time.

Gregg is one of the best mates (friends) I have ever known. He is like the younger brother I never had. He and I go way back to 1993 when we were member of The Chronicles of Who (a Chicago area Doctor Who fan club). Having gotten to know him and seeing that we had similiar interests in sci-fi, English televison programmes (Anglophiles), and sports, we got along splendidly. Thinking back to all the sci-fi and gaming conventions we attended. Not to mention all the autograph signings we went to as well. I was able to help him get a job for awhile when he was seeking work. Gregg also was a great friend of my family, as they got to know him through all the times he'd come to hang out at the house. Gregg also got his dream to come true when he got to visit England. I was living there at the time and he was the Best Man at my wedding back in 2000. He also posesses a great knowledge of pop culture, rock music, superheroes, wrestling, sci-fi: Star Trek, Doctor Who,Star Wars,Battlestar Galactica,Transformers, writing, Godzilla,video games, anime,sports, etc. He is a jack-of-all-trades when it came to all he was interested in. Gregg was good at remembering me on my birthday or Christmas. He got me interested in William Shatner's acting and watching episdes of Mystery Science Theater 3000or Beavis and Butthead. We'd do impressions of people who made us laugh like Jerry Seinfeld, Shatner, Patrick Stewart,etc. He is one of the kindest, caring people I have known. He was even there for me when I was feeling really down when I moved back to America when my marriage failed. He cheered me up by hanging around and took me to a WWE event up in Milwaukee. That cheered me up! We had a great time seeing "Weird Al" Yankovic in concert. Or how I would get on his nerves when I'd talk about the comedian, Carrotop. A guy we couldn't stand! I still haven't come to reality yet that he isn't here. I miss him awhole lot! It took me a few days to collect my thoughts and memories I have of Gregg and myself because we had been through so much together in the past 14 years. Like 2 old army buddies. My prayers, thoughts, and sympathies go out to Gregg, his father, Tom; his mum, Gail; his brother, Brian; and the rest of his family and mates. We mustn't mourn Gregg's passing. But celebrate his life and the wonderful and happy memories we have of him! Gregg is always with us in our hearts, our minds, and in person right next to us. Gregg has his own TARDIS now and he can pop in and out anytime he wants to see us and see the world and galaxy. But he was be with us here on Terra Firma. Thanks, Gregg for being there for me as I have been there for you. I will never forget you! Godspeed my friend! Live long and prosper, my friend and brother!

My deepest sympathies are with the Allinson family. Like many others, I met Gregg online chatting about comic books. He was a good guy. I wish I knew him better. He was taken too young.

Like many others here, Gregg made an impact on me without every meeting him face to face. My interactions were through the John Byrne Fourm and he was always well-spoken and a decent guy.

My condolences to his friends and family.

I met Gregg on the John Byrne Forum, an internet site devoted to John Byrne and his work, comics in general, and pretty much everything else two or more people could argue about. But one thing that was never in dispute was that Gregg was one of the good guys. Rest in peace.

As soon as I knew Gregg and I had been to some of the same concerts and had some of the same musical interests I knew we'd be fast friends. I will never forget my (unofficial) brother-in-law.

Like many here, I met and knew Gregg only as an online presence. My father's family is from Brookfield, so Gregg and I shared many conversations about Brookfield, LaGrange, and other places in the Chicagoland area that we both were fond of. I found him to be extremely intelligent, funny, direct, opinionated, and genuine, and was looking forward to meeting him in person the next time I visited the Chicago area. That I will not get that opportunity is a crushing loss.

My heartfelt sympathies to the Allinson family. Gregg will be missed.

I had the pleasure of spending an evening in Chicago with Gregg about 15 months ago. I found him to be a personable, friendly and affable fellow who's company I genuinely enjoyed. I had hoped to repeat the experience sooner rather than later.

I also enjoyed Gregg's presence on-line at a message board decided to a mutually admired comic book creator. I will miss his interaction on the board, as he and I often saw eye-to-eye and I always found his commments to be intelligent and well-thought-out.

I will miss, Gregg. The world is a little poorer these days.

RIP.

MPH

I was very saddened to hear of Gregg's passing. I had worked with him at the Forest Park Library and knew immediately what a kind and good person he was.

Living in La Grange Park, I was able to see Gregg every so often on my trips to the La Grange Park Library and it was always good to see him.

A few months back, Gregg, a fellow former coworker and I met for dinner and the three of us spent an enjoyable evening sharing old stories and catching up.

The last time I saw Gregg was less than two weeks ago while he was working. He just had a moment to talk and I am sorry there won't be more moments. May you find peace, Gregg.

To the entire Allinson family,
my deepest sympathies.

I knew Gregg online since reading his Torch articles back in 2002. He was a great, intelligent guy, always fun and interesting to talk to. Even now, I keep thinking of things I want to say to him...reminisce about Tales of the Scross and ask his thoughts on The Fountainhead.

I have one picture of Gregg saved on my hard drive. He's holding a cat, smiling, and wearing a shirt that says "Tim." Even when times went by that I didn't talk to him so frequently, I'd see his picture and smile. I really enjoyed having Gregg in my life, and will miss him terribly.

Gregg, just so you know, I'm playing Matthew Sweet's "Girlfriend" indefinitely...and every night when I'm out walking with my dog, I look up at the sky, sing "Smog Moon" and imagine you can hear me.

Gregg and I "met" online several years ago, thanks to our mutual interest in comic books. Gregg brought a wit and intelligence to an arguably silly world of online comic book reviews, and it was that spark that began our friendship.

Over the years, Gregg and I got to know each other better and one of the things that helped that was that we had similar tastes. More interesting, and more cementing to our friendship, though, were how those manifested themselves differently. We could share different experiences with each other in a way that the other had no problem realting to. We could bounce ideas off each other and spark each other's imaginations in ways that could only come from people who are in synch with one another.

I'm deeply saddened that Gregg is no longer with us; there are too many conversations that we haven't had yet.

Like many others here, I knew Gregg from participation in an online forum. He was a good friend to me during a difficult period in my life a few years ago. Even though we hadn't communicated much in recent times, I remember him as a good and thoughtful man. Most of the time we just had fun discussing mutual interests and hobbies, but there were times when I was down and hurting. During those serious times, he helped me just by being willing to listen and encouraging me to stay strong, to not give up. To his family and friends, you have my deepest sympathies.

Rest in peace, Gregg.

I met Gregg once (and knew him through Doctor Who online forums for years) and he was in person as he was "virtually"--a real joy to interact with, full of energy and enthusiasm about everything. My deepest condolences.

This is very tragic news. Gregg and I became friendly through an Internet "Doctor Who" forum about ten years ago and I even got to meet him at a DW convention in Chicago. He was 100% dedicated to everything around him, and you can't say that about too many people. I hadn't been in touch with him for years and years but I'm glad I got the opportunity to read all these other kind thoughts about him. My deepest condolences to the rest of his family.

My sympathies. I've seen Gregg around online for a long time, and while I didn't know him terribly well, am sad to hear about this.

I knew Gregg on and off (mostly off, I'll admit) for years online... We didn't always agree, but he was always one of the decent guys, which is a precious thing to find online. I'm so very sorry for your loss.

I'm a moderator on an on-line forum that Gregg visited with regularity, the John Byrne Forum. Gregg was always a funny, kind, caring guy who wasn't afraid to express his opinion on any of a number of subjects, yet he always took the time to listen to a different point of view. I had the pleasure of meeting Gregg and hanging out with him for a night a couple of Thanksgivings ago in Chicago. My time with him was a ton of fun, cherished now more than ever knowing that I won't get the chance to do it again.

My thoughts and prayers are with the entire Allinson family. I know that if the outpouring of affection and friendship expressed on our little corner of the internet is any indication, Gregg will be terribly missed now and for a long time to come.

I count myself as one of Gregg's many on-line friends and I will miss his wit and insight. You all have my deepest sympathies in your time of need.

I did not know you but rest in peace my Friend.

My condolences to his family. I knew Gregg through the John Byrne Forum, and he always appeared to be a likable and good guy. His presence will be missed.

I never met Gregg personally. Like others I knew him from his online presence. But even from that contact it was clear he was a decent person. Reading the other entries here it is good to see people focusing on the many happy memories they had with Gregg. I suspect he would like that. You have my sincere condolences on your loss.

I was saddened to hear about Gregg's passing. Although I never met him in person (I like many others got to know him on the internet). He will be sorely missed by many of us.

Gregg was a truly special young man. I will miss him very much. I met him when we both worked at the Forest Park Public Library and our friendship continued from that point on. He was fun, bright and always so interesting!

My heartfelt sympathy goes out to his family and to his many other friends. Gregg and all of you who knew and loved him are in my thoughts and prayers.

I never met Gregg... or rather I only met him on-line at the John Byrne Forum. That being said, I would like to extend my deepest condolences to his family and friends with this post and say that Gregg was a very appreciated member at the JBF. I for one have definitely enjoyed his presence in discussions where we have both been involved and I sincerely feel that the forum is much poorer for having lost his presence.

He will not be forgotten.

My condolences to Gregg's family. I knew him only through the John Byrne Forum, but I liked and respected him for his wit, his insight, and his obvious passion for the interests we had in common.

Rest in peace, Gregg.

I never met Gregg in real life. However, I have participated to some chats on a forum, and I came to appreciate his postings and chating. I am truly devasteted by the news. This is so sad. My prayers and condoleances to your family.

Dearest Allinson Family,
My deep and heartfelt sympathy goes out to you all with the loss of your son and brother and nephew Gregg. I know Gregg through one of his good friends, Paul E. Webb, my fiance. I thought Gregg was very bright and intelligent and he told me about some great new music groups which I appreciated very much. He struck me as a funny and sweet man whom Paul really cared for and often told me about funny things he said or did. I am truly very sorry to learn of his passing. The world is a much sadder place without him in it.May God comfort you all in this very difficult time.
God Bless!

I worked with Gregg a few years back at the Forest Park Public Library and I just remember his great sense of humor, he always remembered some character or show or commercial that I thought I only remembered :) and he always presented himself as nothing less than a gentlemen, I have never forgotten him and never will! This is a great loss, I dont know if it will help, but his family is sure to be in my prayers!

May God bless you and your family in this time of sorrow.

My condolences. I only knew Gregg online but he was a very big supporter and friend to me. I will miss him.

Although I only met Gregg once when we all went to Riddles, his memory will always hold a special place in my heart. We had a great time that night and shared a lot of laughs together. My heart goes out to Gregg's family and friends. May you all find the strength to console one another in this difficult time. We'll never forget you, Gregg! You'll be greatly missed!

When I heard about Gregg's passing, I was deeply saddened. I met Gregg only once when we went to Riddles Comedy Club with my sister, her boyfriend, my boyfriend, and my friend Leanne. We had a blast that night and Gregg was such a nice person to be around. My deepest sympathy is with Gregg's family and friends at this difficult time.

Gregg was one of the best guys I've ever known.

He will truly be missed. Truly.

I only knew Gregg for a couple of short years through the John Byrne forum where we discussed comics and a myriad of other subjects. As someone the same age as Gregg and with some of the same interests, I sincerely am deeply sorry for his loss, and it touches me deeply. I wish his family nothing but peace in this difficult time and for them to know that he touched many others through his life, short though it was. Gregg was a passionate, friendly, smart person and I will miss him.

I never met Gregg in person, and yet his loss has hit me as deeply as any I've ever felt. I knew Gregg only via online message boards, and it was through those interactions that I came to think of him as a close personal friend. We had many discussions over the years. Sometimes we agreed, sometimes we disagreed, but always we learned from one another, and always I looked forward to hearing from him. I had hoped that on my next trip to my hometown of Chicago I'd be able to meet Gregg for the first time. We'll never get that chance now. Rest in peace, buddy. I'll miss you.

Wow. I don't know what to say. One of the best times I ever had was hanging out with Gregg at Wizard World a couple of years back. He read my stuff and was very encouraging of my career...

I'll miss you Gregg.

You were one of the good ones.

Godspeed.

Although I certainly cannot put in words quite like my brother Keith has already done, I would like to express my deepest sympathy to Gregg's family at this time. I knew Gregg through my brother and shared some fun times with him. My fondest memory of Gregg was when he, Bill Barlow and my brother took me to my very first punk rock concert (The Queers!!!)The concert was great but the ride there was even more fun. Gregg did his Grover impersonation (NEARRRRRRR FARRRRRRR) and then Keith got pulled over for speeding....Gregg, my friend and I were in the back seat cracking up at Keiths expense. It was great! Another great time I shared with Gregg was when Keith got married. Gregg and I sat at the head table during dinner and he kept me entertained...you know how boring weddings can be. I fondly remember Gregg telling me how "honored" he was to have been asked to be a part of Keith and Ryans big day. It wasnt until Keith told me yesterday of Greggs passing and reading his thoughts here that it is Keith who was "honored" to have Gregg as a friend. My prayers continue to be with Greggs family and friends at this difficult time.

My friendship with Gregg had only just begun but I am nevertheless devastated by his loss. My thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to his family and friends...

I met him in July, when I began working at the La Grange Park Library and our friendship was cemented when we shared a mututal interest in the Mr. T Experience. I immediately sensed Gregg's brightness...as his friend Keith so eloquently said, there's not many people like Gregg Allinson. He had an amazingly sharp eye for detail, and the most impressive memory. He would recall bits of things I'd said that I thought had evaporated into the conversation, and Gregg would reference it three days later, or he would recall that certain television show you thought was too obscure for anyone to know, and he wouldn't just tell you the name of it, he'd explain the plot of the third episode!

We also bonded over the fact that we were both writers, Gregg self-publishing his own magazine and contributing to open mike night at the Red Lion pub, aside from working on his own writing. Over breakfast at Blueberry Hill in La Grange (Gregg always got pigs n' a blanket and a glass of milk) we conceived the idea of a writing workshop to be taught at the library with the two of us as co-teachers. These classes began three weeks ago and though I've never been to Simon's and can best imagine that was where Gregg felt most comfortable, he was truly in his element as a teacher. So thoughtful, applying his own experiences to the students' questions, and painstakingly creating a thorough and intelligent syllabus. I loved the way he would respond to emails. We had much correspondence via email concerning our class, and he had a style I'd never seen before: he would take the email you had written and write his reply in sections, as comments to everything you said. That way he was able to respond to everything you mentioned, and it was so special. I've never felt more privileged to work with someone, and I think all of our co-workers at the library would agree.

I'm so lucky to have known Gregg, and have had him in my life even for a short time. I will never spell "Gregg" with one "g" ever again, and I will never not think of him when I hear about Dr. Who, Tegan and Sara, Blue Monday, Ayn Rand, the Boll Weevils, and pigs n' a blanket. He's made a mark on my life and he is gone much too soon.

Gregg gave me a Christmas present at our last class, and I've never felt more known by someone: it was an economy box of Equal and a mix cd. Probably my two favorite things in life. I've been listening to his cd on repeat in my car and I've already tapped into the Equal.

The only thing left to say is something Gregg always signed his emails with: Au Bon Pain!

We'll love and miss you, Gregg.

I posted this in a number of places, the sad thing is Gregg was not only a great friend but a fantastic proofreader, so I appoligize in advance if there are errors, Gregg would have easily spotted them.

I met young Gregg fourteen years ago at a Friday night Dr. Who fan club meeting in Bolingbrook, IL. So it was already established that Gregg and I were huge geeks. He lived a town away from me and even though he was 3 years younger then me, we had many similar interests, like professional wrestling, punk rock, Britpop, live concerts, sci-fi, British accents, awful TV programs, good TV programs, movies of all qualities, KISS memorabilia, hunting, macroeconomic theory, girls, cars, “Girls In Cars” (a rock and wrestling reference Gregg loved), etc. Gregg was a wonderful funny quirky human being with more obscure pop culture references then Denis Miller. He was very kind to animals and most every person he met. No one who ever met Gregg will forget his handshake, with him sticking out his arm out to you in an awkward, but also funny manner. They also will remember the fact he would make a reference of some type, and it would take most people a while or a careful explanation afterward to understand “Gregg-ease.” Over the last few years I saw him break away from his shyness and become a lot more social. He was a fantastic writer, as displayed when he wrote for PWTorch.com or his own homemade magazine entitled Miss Fletcher’s Fallen.

Some of the best memories I have of Gregg is when we watched wrestling Pay Per View’s together. Just earlier this year my neighbor complained the day after a PPV that we had made too much racket from cracking ourselves up while watching it and they weren’t able to “enjoy Desperate Housewives.” I will also remember the many live concerts and wrestling events we saw during our time together, including the most recent Bollweevil reunion shows where Gregg, even though he was short is stature, was still battling around in the front row singing along to every single word. I will always cherish our frequent trips into the city to go to Reckless and Tower Records and long car drives when we would talk about everything under the sun. Or, more recently, hanging out with him at Simons and listening to his theories about the latest wrestling or comic book story lines, or why he was a member of the Church of William Shatner.

In life, you meet so many different kinds of people. But there is no one I have ever met that was like Gregg Allinson. I miss the little guy already. As sad as I am about his sudden passing, I am very fortunate to have spent so much time with such a wonderful person. He was always a great friend to me, my wife, and my friends. I feel blessed by knowing him and only feel sadness and selfishness that I will no longer get to serve him 10 red bulls in a night at Simons, watch him dance in a way where only Gregg could, and make Lionel Richie, THE BOUNTY HUNTER~!* or Barlow! The Musical! references.

Please at this time, think of Gregg’s father, mother, and Brother. They need your thoughts and prayers. Arrangements are being made for his funeral later on this week, if you are interested in attending please let me know.

Gregg had so much talent and potential, and part of me is very sad that the story of Gregg is done because I thought no matter what he did or became, it would have been an excellent book.

In closing, at the time of his passing, Gregg was part of a program called Mustaches For Kids (http://www.m4kchicago.org/) which raises money for the holidays by its volunteers growing mustaches. I hope up in heaven he’s grooming his fine mustache while playing a game of RC Pro AM with Deforest Kelly (Dr. McCoy from Star Trek), Patrick Troughton (The second and Gregg’s favorite Doctor Who), and wrestler Owen Hart. Our loss is heavens gain.

I’m glad when I remember my friend Gregg, I will remember all the wonderful times with him and what a truly special person he was. But also, being ordinary is boring, and my friend Gregg and my friendship with him were anything but. He made me laugh like few people can, and he did grow a sweet mustache. That is how I’d like to remember Gregg, nicely mustached. >God bless you Gregg Allinson, I can’t wait to talk to you again (but it might be awhile).

Thank you,
Keith Lipinski

* If Gregg never told you about this, you missed one of his finest stories. We were once playing a role playing game. If you knew Gregg and I well, you would realize never really liked playing these. Let me rephrase that, we never liked playing these seriously. If you know anyone who RPG's, they take it very seriously. Like many things in life Gregg and I were very unserious. During a Star Wars game we drove someone to tears by them being frustrated by Gregg and I just using the game for our comic amusements. Gregg was THE BOUNTY HUNTER a interglatic bounty hunter who unfortunally lost his book/users manual and could only say "THE BOUNTY HUNTER." I played special needs Wookie named "Lumpy" who could only say one of 7 lines including "I miss blossom already" and "grrrrrr (wookie roar) cheese." Gregg and my characters were paired out together as we broke out of an imperial prison, there was a storm trooper on the ground and the person running the game asked us what we wanted to do with it. I suggested singing Lionel Richie to it. So we sang hello with my bad wookie grawl and Gregg who can only say “THE BOUNTY HUNTER” in his French dramatic accent. We had the person running the game so frustrated he left the room crying, but it was a great moment for our friendship that still brings a smile to my face (sadly at the expense of another)

I can't begin to tell you how sad I was to read about Gregg in the paper. Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this time. Gail, I remember your boys from so many years ago when our folks all lived on Community Dr. I know my dad was in contact for awhile,and I hate we lost touch over the years. Please accept our symathy at this time of great loss for you and your family.
Barbara

As a co-worker of Gregg's, there really are no words to express the sadness I feel over this loss. My heart goes out to Gregg's family and loved ones. It was an honor to have known him.