RIP John Mansfield

[kevin_standlee]

As most of you who follow me may know, John Mansfield, chair of the 1994 Winnipeg Worldcon and an important figure in Canadian fandom, passed away a few days ago after a long period of decline. His funeral service in Winnipeg was today, and was live streamed and recorded so that people (including me) who could not come to Winnipeg could attend virtually.

John was an important person in my life. He trusted me sufficiently to ask me to be part of the ballot-counting team for the 1994 Worldcon (technically, I was an extra person added by the administrator, as was the third person from the other bid on the ballot). He appointed me WSFS Division Head for ConAdian, at a time when I think a fair number of people in Worldcon fandom still considered me a crank, even though I had the same position for ConFrancisco, the 1993 Worldcon. (To be fair, there probably people who still think I'm a crank, but I'm never going to reach them, so who cares.) The icon on this post is me at the 1994 Worldcon holding a Hugo Award, the base of which I co-designed. I was also later named one of ConAdian's two deputy chairs, along with Christine Barnson, because John didn't want an American as his sole deputy. Christine and I were primarily there to be John's "life insurance" during the convention, but we did also surprise him during the Closing Ceremony to present him with an award including the ribbon that said "The Man Who Made It Happen" because without him driving the effort, I feel certain that Winnipeg would not have been the 1994 Worldcon.

Winnipeg was one of the best Worldcons I have attended. It's better than the one I co-chaired. I regret that I never got back up there, and I was very much looking forward to honoring John as Fan Guest of Honor at Pemmi-Con, this year's NASFiC. He'll still be FGoH, and he died knowing that he had that honor. I'm just sorry that he never got to experience it fully in person.

John was my friend, and I will miss him.

Comments

[calimac]

I've always regretted not attending Winnipeg. (I'd just started a new job and had no vacation time.) Not only did I miss a good con, I lost the chance to meet John in person. My interaction with him in e-mailed committee business was always pleasant.

[delosharriman]

It's a bizarre coincidence that John Mansfield (husband of Pemmi-Con co-chair Linda Ross-Mansfield) and Marty Cantor (ex-husband of Pemmi-Con co-chair Robbie Bourget) died within days of each other.

[kevin_standlee]

Yikes, I hadn't thought of that.

[wild_patience]

I'm sorry for your loss. As Calimac said, we would have loved to go, but it wasn't a good time. Besides his new job, we had just gotten married a few months earlier and had gone to MythCon in DC shortly thereafter.

Looking at your user pic, I have gotten so used to your hair as it is. We all had so much more hair back then. (It's sad that people don't tell young women that they, too, will likely experience hair loss as they age. It comes as rather a surprise.)

[jeffreyab]

John was a major presence in both science fiction and wargaming. Both have benefited from this.