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The passing of Tsa (Szymborska) - 1968 to 2023

Total Posts: 5

Joined 2007-12-08

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Dear all

It is with a heavy heart, that I have to tell you that adventure gamer + former “Following Freeware” contributor Tsa Szymborska has passed away last Monday. He was 55 years old.


As he was very private I will not reveal much more here. He was born with health problems but thanks for his courage to say yes to complicated operations, procedures and his resilience, he got, as he liked to say towards the end “50 bonus years”.

Tsa loved adventure games and I do too. I was never active on here, but he was, and he met some of you at adventure gamers meet ups in Hastings and Amsterdam in the mid 2010 years.

I was in Amsterdam. I am his best friend, from Switzerland. We would not have met if it hadn’t been for adventure games.

We met in URU live. Around 2005/2006. I was standing on a bridge considering a MARKER MISSION. “Can someone please come up here and help me?” I wrote in the in-game chat. Tsa did, without hesitation.

The rest turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me! The friendship that saved my life, that endured while others came and went, he was there for every struggle and every triumph. He was my best friend, my constant and he became my family!


Tsa had many friends, from his childhood, uni days, from working in science and when his health sadly forced him to give that up, he built new friendships: moving adventure game online friends into RL, book clubs, one friend to go to McDonald’s, drawing lessons, the friend he made at the local tea shop. With another he watched Star Trek (on my Netflix account, which made me happy!). He also worked as a volunteer photographer at a local museum.

I was lucky to experience many trips, visits, endless Skype dinners, lots of wisdom, so much laughter, compassionate discussions… Yes there were a few minor fights (we overcame) and we would bicker like siblings when tired or stressed… HE was the best friend anyone could have wished for!!!

In 2022 Tsa’s body started shutting down. I’m lucky to have spent time with him in the hospital and to say goodbye to him in the hospice last Sunday (he was unresponsive by then and passed away Monday morning).

He talked with passion and joy about many topics, the games too. I played during the pandemic, easpecially during the two christmas lockdowns, and rediscovered adventure games for myself. Although I only play the phone game “Township” daily, I got a ton of adventure waiting to be played. It’s sad that I can’t discuss them with him anymore, but I’ll play them in his honour, remembering that they brought us together.

He told me: “Life is an ADVENTURE. I wished I had had more of it.”

If you met Tsa or had contact with him on here, and would like his abituary or my euolgy (after Monday) as a PDF, please PM me! I am also happy to do zoom calls later in the month, if anyone has questions or would like to reminisce.


Please feel free to link to this post or share it with others who knew him. Thanks!

     

Total Posts: 5

Joined 2007-12-08

PM

Here is a picture of Tsa in URU…  Heart

     

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Total Posts: 360

Joined 2006-01-12

PM

I became friends with Tsa among many others on these forums. I will always remember the first Adventure Gamer’s get together in Amsterdam that Tsa arranged. So much fun to meet my online friends irl for the first time. Later Stepurhan arranged a get together in Hastings. Also a great day. Tsa joined us for a moment on Skype since he was too ill to come.

My husband and I visited him in his home in the N.L once and got to meet his beloved rabbits Klaas and Anabel. Lovely memories.

Tsa was a nice, gentle and intelligent man with a great sense of humour. He will be missed by everyone who knew him.

     

Lazy Bee
Temporary guest in your life.

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Total Posts: 63

Joined 2006-05-09

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I was so sad to hear of the passing of TSA, he was such a sweet soul. I happened on Adventure Gamers by accident, and just by poking around I found the Chit Chat forum. I dropped in and meet some amazing people. I live in the USA and I don’t travel much at all, especially outside of the states, so meeting people from around the world was such an amazing gift to the young 30 something I started out as.

I taught pre-k for eight years and I reached out to my now friends in the chit chat group, and I had several friends send me items from their countries for my students when we did our around the world in pre-k. TSA was the first one to send me items from the Netherlands. My students were so excited to see items from around the world and to also see the people that sent the items. Flash forward a few years once my daughters were born, TSA always posted pictures of his rabbits and my girls got to watch the rabbits in TSA garden and run through his house. I was so sweet to watch my girls fall in love with the rabbits and laugh at what TSA had done for them. Each year he would send us a Christmas card/ Post card that he had drawn or took a picture of and made it special for my family. Each year I would send one to him as well but he would never receive it until January no matter when I would send it ..... I would always tell him “I sent your Christmas card”, he would say “oh yeah, I guess it will show up in January”  Smile 

I will for ever be grateful for the times that I meet TSA and my other game friends here, and carried through the forums, the games and to Facebook.  I am thankful to Maria and Lena for keeping in touch so I can be apart of TSA’s funeral and be able to share with his loved ones   Heart

     

Lord make my words as sweet as honey, for tomorrow I may have to eat them.

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Total Posts: 1341

Joined 2012-02-17

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Oh no! I was terribly sorry to hear of this, so I’m glad someone told me about this thread.

It was my great pleasure to work with Willem for several years on Following Freeware, and I really appreciated his passion and commitment to freely giving of himself so much each month. I didn’t know him well personally outside of that, but I too found him to be thoughtful and kind in all our interactions. A good man, and a true gentleman.

My sincere condolences to the many left behind whose lives he touched.

     
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Total Posts: 8467

Joined 2011-10-21

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This is very sad news indeed.

Willem was a great guy. We exchanged many messages over the years, and I got to meet him at the forum meet-up by the Felsenmeer in Germany, and again at the forum meet-up in Bruges. He was a nice man to hang out with, and had a good sense of humour about him.

He’ll be missed by all those who knew him…

     

The truth can’t hurt you, it’s just like the dark: it scares you witless but in time you see things clear and stark. - Elvis Costello
Maybe this time I can be strong, but since I know who I am, I’m probably wrong. Maybe this time I can go far, but thinking about where I’ve been ain’t helping me start. - Michael Kiwanuka

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Total Posts: 5518

Joined 2008-01-09

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I remember Tsa from his posts here at AG, especially the pictures of his rabbits and other animal he posted.  My deepest sympathy to all who were close to him.

     

Chocolate: Here today.  Gone today.

Total Posts: 287

Joined 2003-09-16

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I remember the Following Freeware section but never knew the man behind it.  I wish I could tell him his work was appreciated.  My condolences ...

     

Total Posts: 5

Joined 2007-12-08

PM

Thank you, all of you! I am making notes and will include your memories in an essay I’ll be posting/sending out on his birthday on 11th August.

Willem was so fond of you all and of this community!

Please feel free to reach out to me via PM anytime…

     
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Total Posts: 5777

Joined 2012-03-24

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I’ve been off-line for a few days & have just been alerted to the passing of Tsa. I’m so sorry & forward my commiserations to his family & friends….as well as everyone who enjoyed the Following Freeware thread.    Heart

     
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Total Posts: 1346

Joined 2009-04-28

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Really sorry to hear this. I was on the Hastings meet up and met Willem ‘IRL’ at AdventureX quite a few years ago.

He was a great guy, always lots of fun on the forums, obviously intelligent, sensitive but resilient. I know he will remain in the memories and hearts of many of us here.

     

3.5 time winner of the “Really Annoying Caption Contest Saboteur” Award!

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Total Posts: 334

Joined 2003-10-16

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When I first started writing Following Freeware it was a tiny job, because I knew hardly any places to look for new games each month. A few years in I had found a ton of sources and the job was becoming overwhelming.

Step in TSA, who offered to help me write the articles. We both searched for games, compared our finds, and then split the resulting list between us. Him doing a chunk of games eased the stress for me on its own. It also gave me the opportunity to enjoy some of the games he recommended without having to worry about writing about them afterwards.

I also enjoyed meeting him in person on more than one ocassion (including a memorable meeting in Amsterdam where he was perpetually being put at risk by my dubious wheelchair steering skills Laughing )

I was sad to hear of his passing. The adventure gaming world has lost an enthusiastic advocate and the world in general has lost a lovely person.  Frown

     

No Nonsense Nonsonnets 44

Quest for Knowledge

I’m hoping to find name for game that I played long ago
The people here so well-informed, someone is sure to know
A time machine, grandfather clock, I give it to myself
Oh never mind, the box is sitting there upon my shelf

For real retro gaming nerds, name that game.

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Total Posts: 360

Joined 2006-01-12

PM

Oh yes Stepurhan, Willem in his wheelchair was very close to the edges of the canal at times. Literally living on the edge. ☺️ We’re having good memories from good times.

     

Lazy Bee
Temporary guest in your life.

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Total Posts: 7388

Joined 2013-08-26

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I don’t visit the chat forum very often nowadays and only saw this sad news today. I’m very sorry to hear of Willem’s death. I never met him in real life but we exchanged game DVDs by mail once or twice. As others have said, he was always kind to everybody and had a gentle sense of humor. He also posted many interesting photographs and I will always remember his stories and pics of his beloved rabbits.

     

I can take care of myself. I’ve been doing it for centuries. Snow

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Total Posts: 63

Joined 2006-05-09

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stepurhan - 07 June 2023 05:15 PM

When I first started writing Following Freeware it was a tiny job, because I knew hardly any places to look for new games each month. A few years in I had found a ton of sources and the job was becoming overwhelming.

Step in TSA, who offered to help me write the articles. We both searched for games, compared our finds, and then split the resulting list between us. Him doing a chunk of games eased the stress for me on its own. It also gave me the opportunity to enjoy some of the games he recommended without having to worry about writing about them afterwards.

I also enjoyed meeting him in person on more than one ocassion (including a memorable meeting in Amsterdam where he was perpetually being put at risk by my dubious wheelchair steering skills Laughing )

I was sad to hear of his passing. The adventure gaming world has lost an enthusiastic advocate and the world in general has lost a lovely person.  Frown

I remember he sent me a message about your wheelchair driving when I asked how everyone doing ...... I had a chuckle at the way he phrased the ride Laughing

     

Lord make my words as sweet as honey, for tomorrow I may have to eat them.

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Total Posts: 7388

Joined 2013-08-26

PM

Willem’s beautiful nature photos and his rabbit pics have disappeared from AG but can still be seen at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/tsaszymborska/

     

I can take care of myself. I’ve been doing it for centuries. Snow

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