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Rest In Peace Scott "Zuma" Wolf

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- Rated: 40 ↑
Jun 13, 2008 1:51 p.m. gretschman36:

Reading thru all of this made me reflect upon a situation that occurred on another forum between me and a member I barely knew. Perhaps, this will help you, Mitch.

As I said, I barely knew the person, yet had seen him posting for months on the forum and we shared comments on a few posts. Like Scott, this guy "stood out" with his wit and personality.

However, one day, I noticed his posts changed. They were "darker" than usual, and I started watching his posts out of concern.

Somehow, we both ended up involved in a deep thread and his comments became more eerie. They started to change to past tense, and as someone that always CARED, he sudenly was like "whatever", life's over soon enough. Strange...

I kept engaging this person and started to share my concern in the thread about his "state". Others picked up on it and started to chime in, too.

After a while, I PM'd him and asked him to call me so we could talk on the phone. Several hours went by and nothing.

Instead he sent an email and his story was similar to Scott. Divorce after 25 years, lost his studio, bank took his car, he said he was tired and wanted to "go home".

So you can imagine how that struck me when I read Scott's post in Richard Hudson's song thread. Same choice of words. SAME.

In the end, this person called me, we spoke for hours, he hung up, went for a drive and then went to a close friend and told him what he almost did that night.

Seems one never truly knows. NONE of his family new, none of his friends, yet somehow he expressed himself on a forum, he said it was easier and said he would have never told his family the things he shared on the forum or on our phone conversation that night. He said "NOT KNOWING ME made it easier".

Weeks later he wrote to me and said the care and concern showed on the forum from people he did not know, somehow restored SOME level of faith in the world. He said is was either it was that, or since we "distracted him" for 10 hours, after the time passed it was no longer a "real option". Guess we'll never know.

Most chilling was his comment weeks later that NO ONE could have stopped him (if he had gone thru with it). Nothing could have been changed, or caught, or anything. Even our talk, our posts, the concern of the forum members. Nothing.

He said he simply was not able to, nor ready for "that option"...

I guess my point is, look how close a few of us were in "real-time" to this event with respect to his intentions. Even though some if us picked up on it, acted and stayed with it, it came down to HIS CHOICE, and his alone.

I wanted to share this story with you so you know you're not alone in matters like this. His choice of words, the forum connection, similar life traumas, all tie-in together - Scott and this person on the other forum.

Please hold onto the wonderful Scott stories, as this was your "real" brother. No doubt, you were very special to him.

That bond will ALWAYS be there. It may have been shorter than you would have liked, but it seems you shared an amazing journey together and I would take 20 years of Arby's stories and the like than 50 years of a so-so relationship with my brother.

In the end, no matter the cause, we're left with memories. Thankfully you are blessed to have many, many terrific memories of life with Scott.

God bless you and your family.

JS
- Rated: 19 ↑
Jun 13, 2008 2:17 p.m. Gretschadelphia:

Terribly sad to hear of Zuma's passing. Always enjoyed his posts. Insightful and always with a sense of humour. If it wasn't for the Gretsch Pages and the knowledge and wisdom of people like Zuma, I probably would not have experienced the joy of owning and playing a Gretsch guitar. For that I will be eternally greatful. Rest in peace brother. Quoting from another sometime Gretsch player: "Brother when they built you, they broke the mold" (Bruce Springsteen)
- Rated: 31 ↑
Jun 13, 2008 2:26 p.m. Suprdave5150:

This is one of the many reasons that this is such an outstanding forum. I have been reading all of these comments and I have been wordless for quite a few minutes now.

I still don't know what to say. This is such an awful tragedy. Your brother will certainly be missed here but in your heart even more. I can't imagine what you're going through. You and your family are in my prayers.

I just spent the last twenty minutes or so reading some of the threads on the archives trying to connect when I first came on these pages and they just don't go back that far. I read several of Scotts posts and was reminded of what a great guy he was and what he meant to this board.

I wish peace upon you and your family, my friend.

Dave
- Rated: 37 ↑
Jun 13, 2008 2:41 p.m. MR TROUBLE:

Gretschadelphia,

Coincidentally, I was thinking about that Bruce song yesterday in light of Scott's passing...of course Bruce wrote it for his assistant Terry who passed away and titled it "Terry's Song" but it could easily be sung about anybody close to you who's passed away and left a big void. The song for me has now found a different meaning for me because now everytime I hear it I think of Zuma. Scott was NOT a Bruce fan however lol.

Well they built the titanic to be one of a kind but many ships have sailed the seas They built the Eiffel Tower to stand alone But they could build another if they please Taj Majal, the pyramids of Egypt are unique I suppose But when they built you brother, they broke the mold.

...They say you can't take it with you But I think that they're wrong Cause all I know is I woke up this morning And somethin big was gone...
- Rated: 57 ↑
Jun 13, 2008 3:52 p.m. Curt:

Death is always more difficult for those left behind because when someone dies there is almost always guilt along with deep hurt. It's really important to deal with these issues because they will eat you alive. People will say the wrong things and think they know how you feel. Truth is you're the only one that knows that. Start a journal if you haven't already so that when the numbness starts to go away you can have a reference point and reflect on the good and happy times.
- Rated: 42 ↑
Jun 13, 2008 4:17 p.m. Dan:

Gretschman36 and Ric (and everyone else)...great posts. You guys really know how to express your thoughts... Dan
- Rated: 3 ↑
Jun 13, 2008 5:18 p.m. Rhys :

What tragic news. Rest in peace Zuma. Mitch, my thoughts are with you and your family.
- Rated: 30 ↑
Jun 13, 2008 9:09 p.m. greg:

Dan i second that!very well done Gretschman36 and Ric and everybody else!
- Rated: 30 ↑
Jun 13, 2008 9:11 p.m. Beatles6120:

JS Thanks for your post. Everybody's posts. As soon as the board is functioning to capacity, I'd like to share some more pictures. Then I think it will be time to put it to rest.

Thanks again, Mitch
- Rated: 83 ↑
Jun 13, 2008 10:19 p.m. Mark Synchro:

The truly creative, sensative people of the world experience life differently from the average person. Most of us our here because of our love of music and as such most of us are, at least to some degree creative people and in many cases sensative.

There is a lot of strain in the air right now. A lot of what we hear on the news is bad and a lot of what we experience in our everyday lives is perplexing. Ten years ago if you had said that gas would reach $4 per gallon you would have seemed like a madman. In a simple phrase, these are tough times.

The more I learn about human nature and psychology the more I am impressed by the fact that all of us, even the most individualistic among us, are profoundly affected by the persons around us and in our day of instant communications we are exposed to the moods and thinking of many more people than could have been imagined just a generation ago. In other words, we all feel some of one another's pain and with the uncertainty of the current day there are plenty of people feeling pain.

It's no wonder that some of the most bright, most witty and most creative persons are being affected deeply by the events going on around us and sadly Scott apparently had reached a point where he felt saturated by it all . . . and overwhelmed.

Just remember, none of us are truly alone even if it seems that way. Losing a mate is rough but love is perennial, it always blossoms again if we let it. Jobs can be a very tough problem but we can usually find a way through that maze as well. (I hear that there's a huge demand for sign painters that can make signs fast enough to keep up with rising gas prices.)

For whatever it's worth, hang in there and don't give up; all of you.
- Rated: 33 ↑
Jun 13, 2008 11:29 p.m. RepentOrPerish:

Sad, sad news. Sorry.
- Rated: 47 ↑
Jun 13, 2008 11:55 p.m. Timthom62:

In the end I think it matters not so much how we leave this world, but how we live when we are in it.

When you see how Scott's passing affected the microcosm of society that is the GDP and hear the stories Mitch and others tell of his life outside the GDP, you know that Scott lived a good life and that we are all diminished by his passing. His wit, his wisdom, his love of family and of animals attest to the fact that Scott was a good man and, in life or after, that is all that matters in the end.

Mitch, the closeness you had with Scott was a rare thing, but it seems to me that this same closeness would have to make this loss immeasurably hard to bear. We can't understand what you feel, but I hope we've been able to make it clear that if there is anything you need, anything we can do, you can count on us.

For myself, I have to steal from Shakespeare:

"He was a man, take him for all in all, I shall not look upon his like again."
- Rated: 25 ↑
Jun 14, 2008 9:01 a.m. Scott:

When I first joined the GDP back in '02 Zuma was one of the first to welcome me to the fold. At first I didn't care for Falcons that much but I enjoyed viewing photos of his old bird. Now I have one(although mine's an '06 TLDS, not a real '59).

We exchanged a few PMs over the years. He hooked me up with the link for amber stairstep tuner knobs from over in Denmark(I think...I never went to the trouble to get 'em). Usually he'd sign his PMs to me "the other Scott"...funny when I think about it now.

Someone earlier labeled him "the Smartest Smartass" on the GDP. I can think of no greater ephitet. Fits him to a tee. I loved the recent thread about George's Country Gent...whether or not it was refinished black or not. I recall him chiming in and pulling the whole thread back down to earth, essentially poking fun at all who were literally obsessing about a guitar none of us will ever put hands on. Absolutely priceless.

I remember a part of me feeling rather empty when I saw his White Falcon on Gruhn's website. I really hated that for him.

Losing a relationship can be painful. One reason I've not been here much lately is that I'm trying to patch up a 4-year relationship with my girlfriend. Twenty-two years is a long time to invest just to watch it fall apart. Life...stress in general...can take a toll on a person; it's up to the individual to handle it on his or her terms.

Scott and I had the same names obviously. His first name is my middle name and his middle name is my first name. One of us got turned around...probably me.

Zuma was a class act here on the GDP. Any kind of tribute Bax or any of us could throw together wouldn't be enough.

Mitch, you and your family are in our prayers. Keep on keepin' on...
- Rated: 8 ↑
Jun 14, 2008 11:11 a.m. Shawn:

So sorry for your loss Mitch. I've always enjoyed reading his posts. Keeping you in my prayers.
- Rated: 27 ↑
Jun 14, 2008 11:27 a.m. Jimbodiddley:

Timthom62 said: In the end I think it matters not so much how we leave this world, but how we live when we are in it.
Amen to that.
- Rated: 21 ↑
Jun 14, 2008 1:21 p.m. bluesman:

my heart is with you. i also know the loss of a brother. may he remain in your heart always.

you are in my thoughts at this sad time.
- Rated: 14 ↑
Jun 14, 2008 2:17 p.m. Richard Baguley:

Received an SMS from Deke about this today and was shocked, doubly so when I learned how Scott passed.

I have just read this thread through and if ever there was a fitting epitaph it is this wonderful collection of kind thoughts for Scott, Mitch and their family.

"Zuma" was at the core of the GDP: a player, appreciator of fine guitars, brim full with a wisdom most will never achieve and yet able to bring us down to earth with a pithy barb when things got out of hand. A one off.

I haven't visited here for a while because of extra curricular commitments including a local charity bent on destroying itself by internal politicking. This news makes all that seem utterly pointless.

Mitch, there are probably no words that I can use to help you but if I say "hang on in there and lean on us" maybe it'll make things just a little bit easier. We care.

Farewell and thank you, Scott. R.I.P.
- Rated: 41 ↑
Jun 14, 2008 2:32 p.m. dubkitty:

immediately after i saw the first pages of this thread, the board went wacky for a couple of days and since then i've been ungodly busy with work and haven't had the time to post anything with any thought behind it.

on a certain level, much of what i want to say has already been said, and probably better than i would have said it. yes, it's a terrible shock, a tragedy for everyone, a dreadful loss for the family, for Mitch in particular, and for the community here as well.

i guess there may yet be one or two things i can contribute anyway...first, i remember when, back in another lifetime, i worked in the law library at USF and one of the librarians there lost her grandmother. when the condolence card came around, i was totally flummoxed as to what to write until it came to me (paraphrased and extended): "i guess that the pain of the loss is the price we pay for having loved ones, and letting them into our hearts. but it's worth it."

second...forgive me if i say too much, but i've been sitting pretty close to Zuma's perch on more than one occasion. life in itself is a bitch, and if you add sensitivity and (in my case) chronic depression to the mix, it's a pretty nasty brew sometimes and difficult to drink down. not to mention drinking the next round. the desire to "go home" is a potent narcotic, and the wish for escape sometimes overwhelming. i don't know how one survives the kind of pain that Scott was in...if i knew how, i could probably make a living at it. i suppose in the end that it's a question of somehow finding the will to go on. sometimes it's a big thing, like an answered prayer; sometimes as little of a thing as feeling the fur on one of my cats' tummies.

i feel great sorrow and sympathy for Scott...been there, almost done that. i'm really sorry that he couldn't go on any more. and i wish i could have talked about it with him. i can't condemn him, though...no one is entitled to judge someone else's suffering, and i know too well how hopeless life can seem.

Scott, Mitch, and the extended family are in my prayers. now all of us have to try to find a way to go on.

run with the wolfpack, Scott. and say hi to Danny Whitten for me.
- Rated: 30 ↑
Jun 14, 2008 3:06 p.m. Beatles6120:

Scott (The other one) said: I loved the recent thread about George's Country Gent...whether or not it was refinished black or not

It was me that started that great debate. He gave me a hard time and said in his inimitable way, "Why do you even care?" As the debate got nasty he posted that goofy dialouge which raised a few hackles about derailing. That was him to a tee.
- Rated: 30 ↑
Jun 14, 2008 3:10 p.m. Beatles6120:

One quick Zumaism. Scott worked at Barnes And Noble. This story was shared at his funeral.

Zuma: Do you want a bag?

Customer: No, I'll save a tree.

Zuma: Well, the bags are plastic. If you want to save a tree, don't buy the book.

That was my brother.

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- Rated: 29 ↑
Jun 14, 2008 3:18 p.m. mark t:

Man. I haven't been around lately, having issues with the board and dealing with my own personal issues. Not to get into detail or dwell on the bad, it's become VERY apparent to me in the past couple of weeks how easily things can get on top of you and under your skin. I've finally decided to get a little help from some other folks, and only wish that my fellow GDP brother Zuma could've done the same.

RIP, brother, and thanks for all of the great posts.
- Rated: 30 ↑
Jun 14, 2008 3:25 p.m. Beatles6120:

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- Rated: 38 ↑
Jun 14, 2008 3:26 p.m. bobbyrivera:

Holy crap Mitch, that was funny. I rarely laugh out loud when reading stuff, but I just did.
- Rated: 30 ↑
Jun 14, 2008 3:29 p.m. Beatles6120:

First Day With The White Falcon 1977
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- Rated: 41 ↑
Jun 14, 2008 3:39 p.m. dubkitty:

that's a fantastic photo...it seems to capture all of the aspects of Scott that folks have been talking about. i'm really sorry i never met him before i moved out of Chicago.

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