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Momma Bear has passed away.

Heather Bare, known here as Momma Bear (and by other names elsewhere), passed away today. It wasn’t unexpected, but it is still the last news I wanted to hear. I don’t post emotions well, especially when I’m leaking tears, so please pardon this post. The blog is now shades of grey - this is in memorium. It’s the design she liked best.

I will miss her very much. And I’m not the only one.

Please see The Gray Monk or the Laughing Wolf for a proper Eulogy for a truly wonderful woman. I’m sure there are more - I’ll turn my trackbacks back on for this, despite the spam - let me know if you’ve posted something - she was a good friend to many bloggers. [Update] And a tribute from Andrew Ian Dodge.

Farewell, my friend. May you rest in peace.

This entry was written by Kathy Kinsley, posted on 26 Oct, 2005 at 19:44, and filed under Sad news.

18 Comments

  1. Juliette
    Posted 26 Oct, 2005 at 20:01 | Permalink

    Godspeed, Heather.

  2. andy
    Posted 26 Oct, 2005 at 20:48 | Permalink

    I can’t say I ever got to know her, aside from what I read here, but I’m sorry for the loss.

  3. Teresa
    Posted 26 Oct, 2005 at 22:04 | Permalink

    My condolences to you and to her family and all her other many friends. I’ve read the eulogies written of her - she sounds like a wonderful woman who will be dearly missed and lovingly remembered. That is a tremendous legacy. Godspeed Momma Bear.

  4. marc (formerly Juan Gato)
    Posted 26 Oct, 2005 at 23:28 | Permalink

    It was stunning and saddening to read the news. May she rest in peace and may all who loved her know comfort.

  5. Jim - PRS
    Posted 26 Oct, 2005 at 23:42 | Permalink

    She was remarkable. I’ll miss her. You and her family have my deepest sympathy.

  6. Bill Ewing
    Posted 27 Oct, 2005 at 01:55 | Permalink

    Heather was one of my favorite people.
    My grandson and I had the honor of meeting her and husband a couple of summers ago during an educational trip to Boston.
    The one silver lining in the cloud hanging over my head is that she is no longer in the pain I know she was in the last time I spoke to her just before Rita blew through here and her admonishing me for staying.
    Like “Big John” She was “one HELL of a woman.”
    My grandson and I shall miss her terribly.
    Rest in Peace, Momma.

  7. Yowler
    Posted 27 Oct, 2005 at 04:53 | Permalink

    Heather has finally given up the fight, but at least their is no more pain for the lass.

    Even though we were miles away, and an ocean apart, you, }{, became a friend.

    My, and from all on the uk-fire forum, deapest sympathies for all her friends and family. A straight talking, spirited and intelligent woman with a big heart who will not be forgotten.
    Rest in peace Heather……….Stu

  8. Dean Esmay
    Posted 27 Oct, 2005 at 06:14 | Permalink

    She was amazing.

    She’s gone. It hurts.

  9. Andrew Ian Dodge
    Posted 27 Oct, 2005 at 08:39 | Permalink

    I didn’t find out about her passing until I got back late last night from a gig. My blog(s) will be quiet today except for a tribute to her…our blog-mistress.

  10. Sgt Hook
    Posted 27 Oct, 2005 at 08:53 | Permalink

    God bless.

  11. Easycure
    Posted 27 Oct, 2005 at 09:51 | Permalink

    I’m so missing her words already. She was amazing. I hope we can find a cure soon so cancer will stop taking our brightest minds.

  12. Iain Murray
    Posted 27 Oct, 2005 at 10:47 | Permalink

    One more star in heaven tonight.

    May she rest in peace.

  13. The Gray Monk
    Posted 27 Oct, 2005 at 11:40 | Permalink

    Kathy, she was one hell of a woman and has left us all the poorer for her passing. These last few months have been very hard for her, and at least we can now hope that she is at peace.

    As John Donne wrote in his famous sermon from which comes the “send not to ask for whom the bell tolls” passage, no one is an island, entire of itself, we are all part of the whole. Each of us leaves some little mark upon each other, }{eather has marked us all, and marked us all with something good. We should not weep for her, but for our own loss. Our lives were enriched by her, and her departure leaves us the poorer - and yet, she has also left us with much to remember her for.

  14. buckethead
    Posted 27 Oct, 2005 at 23:20 | Permalink

    May God be with her, and with you.

  15. Bleedingbrain
    Posted 28 Oct, 2005 at 02:27 | Permalink

    Good Bye Momma Bear.

    I love you and miss you.

  16. Zoe Brain
    Posted 30 Oct, 2005 at 23:11 | Permalink

    The world is diminished by her passing.
    But even though I’m an unbeliever, I can’t help thinking that she and her husband are together now, and without pain. If so… then the sadness we feel at her no longer being with us is more than compensated for by knowing that she’s happy, and pain-free.
    I, who never had the honour of knowing her, wish her well, and God Bless.

  17. Jonathan Gewirtz
    Posted 31 Oct, 2005 at 01:13 | Permalink

    I’m sorry. I didn’t know her, but she was ubiquitous on blogs in an obviously kind, thoughtful and wise way. Condolences to her family and friends.

  18. button
    Posted 4 Nov, 2005 at 02:34 | Permalink

    ‘The soul of Man is a lamp in God’s eyes.’

    Very sad news. She made a difference in many people’s lives.

    I’m not very good at verbalizing in these sorts of situations.

17 Trackbacks

  1. By dustbury.com on 26 Oct, 2005 at 20:39

    Fare thee well
    Tonight, save a prayer for MommaBear, just arrived at a far, far better place….

  2. By Classical Values on 26 Oct, 2005 at 23:15

    Farewell Momma Bear
    I’m so sorry to learn (via Glenn’s links to Laughing Wolf and The Gray Monk) that Momma Bear has passed away. (I’m proud to say her blog was one of my earliest blogroll links.) I feel that I’ve known her…

  3. By All AgitProp, all the Time... on 27 Oct, 2005 at 01:26

    Sleep, Dearie, Sleep…
    In spite of the somewhat facetious tone of the previous post, unfortunately, a rather sombre event is what has brought…

  4. By Gut Rumbles on 27 Oct, 2005 at 02:32

    Heather Bare
    Many of you knew Heather Bare, better know as Momma Bear. She passed away today after a long illness. Many,…

  5. By Dean’s World on 27 Oct, 2005 at 02:45

    Goodbye Momma Bear
    Heather Bare, known to many in the blogosphere as “Momma Bear,” has passed away.

    There are those who say that someone you know online can never be a real friend, but that’s a lie. We exchanged barbs and jokes in comments …

  6. By baldilocks on 27 Oct, 2005 at 02:50

    Heather Bare
    Better known as Momma Bear, Heather passed away today after a battle with cancer. She simply was the blog-Mom–in the encouragement and friendship sense–to lots of folks, including me. Rest in peace, Momma Bear.

  7. By Accidental Verbosity on 27 Oct, 2005 at 09:57

    Rest In Peace Heather Bare
    I unfortunately wasn't able to post about this sad news yesterday when Laughing Wolf updated me by e-mail. One of the several - meaning rather few, in the wider scheme of things - bloggers I have met is person was Heather Bare, known t…

  8. By Outside The Beltway on 27 Oct, 2005 at 10:10

    Blogger Momma Bear Dies of Cancer
    A big groan from the den: Momma Bear has died after a yearlong bout with cancer. The Laughing Wolf and Gray Monk have details.

    She was one of the early bloggers I read, via her status as Kathy Kinsley’s co-blogger, when OTB first launched an…

  9. By Electric Venom on 27 Oct, 2005 at 10:16

    A Blogger’s Passing

    …

  10. By Not Exactly Rocket Science on 27 Oct, 2005 at 12:07

    Rest in Peace
    Blogger MommaBear has finally lost her battle with the big C. I never met her, but I always enjoyed what she had to say. Those who knew her better have much more eloquent things to say about her. Andrew Ian…

  11. By Alphecca on 27 Oct, 2005 at 16:52

    Sad News From the Den
    Heather Bare, also known as Momma Bear, passed away. I somehow had expected it after her husband died earlier this year; theirs was a marriage made on Earth but destined for heaven. Over the course of my career in blogging…

  12. By Weekend Pundit on 27 Oct, 2005 at 17:35

    Tears From The Den….
    It is with a heavy heart that I report the passing of Momma Bear – Heather Bare – a friend of the Weekend Pundit team….

  13. By JohnTabin.com on 29 Oct, 2005 at 08:15

    Heather Bare, RIP
    MommaBear, coblogger of JohnTabin.com hostess Kathy Kinsley, has passed away. My condolences. UPDATE: Title changed from The Laughing Wolf’s name for her (”my Bonnie, Bonnie Heather”) to what I gather was her proper name….

  14. By Dizzy Girl on 30 Oct, 2005 at 10:08

    Raven Hair and Ruby Lips, Sparks Fly From Her Fingertips…
    Real World - Momma Bear has passed away. This is very sad news. I didn’t know Momma personally, but she seemed like a wonderful lady. Everyone please keep her family in your thoughts. - Fall is here, which means that…

  15. By Random Jottings on 1 Nov, 2005 at 17:27

    Old friend gone….
    Kathy Kinsley notes sadly the passing of Momma Bear. Back in the misty past–does anyone now remember 2001, 2002?–Momma Bear used to e-mail comments to me, and send tit-bits from the news that she thought I would find provocative….

  16. By Gut Rumbles on 28 Nov, 2005 at 23:09

    this sucks
    Just damn! Early in my blogging career, I made friends with Mommabear. We swapped emails back and forth a lot…

  17. By Hog On Ice on 30 Nov, 2005 at 13:26

    News You Probably Already Know
    Catching Up I think it’s common knowledge that I lack the character to make a conscientious effort to read other people’s blogs. I really need to do better, not because I’ll form allies and end up on blogrolls, but because…