"i'm stuffed"

many folks called him "shasty," but it was originally "shasta," from the
wb's lovely show, "shasta mcnasty." we used to watch that garbage in
disbelief of how bad tv has become.

but regardless of what the name morphed into, i think it's evident that we
all came to know and love him just the same.

i knew shasta back in the days of atlanta, where he & my dad were great
buds. when my family and i moved to denver, shasta followed. in fact, he
lived with me & my family until he got a place of his own. during that time,
he became almost like a brother to me.

shasta was, indeed, the master of the grill, the master of the kitchen and
the best pal to have around at any given event. he rarely had an unkind word
to say about anybody and was always reminding folks to get out and live a
little. he had an easy laugh and was always there to lend an ear or go on
some kind of adventure. "i'm stuffed" was his favorite phrase to use after
we got done pigging out on whatever yumalicious food he turned me onto.

all i know is that gelatto doesn't taste the same with salty tears in it.
and even when the tears stop flowing, it still will never be the same.

we miss and love you.

love,
ray

Shasty

You were the life of any event. You were always the first to respond to any evite, the first to offer to help with the event planning, and the first to get the party going. You kept us all laughing from start to end. What will we do without you?

You touched many lives and will be truly missed by all who had the privilege of meeting you.

I'm sure the party in the afterlife is already rockin' with you there... undoubtedly with some outrageous theme. Save us all a spot and get ready to pour the drinks! We'll have a lot to catch up on, since you left us far too soon!

I'll miss you.

Kari

The Grill Master . . .

Hey Shaz-man. I stood in front of my grill the other night and thought of you. I thought of how gracefully and graciously you came in and took over the cooking at every BBQ at my house. I thought of how you fended off Daisy from licking up the drippings, the amazing steak and brisket you made sure everyone got a taste of and how later you would kick back with a cigar seeming so content that everyone was fed and happy. . . what will we do without you? I've read what everyone else has said here and I say ditto! You were the life of every party, the master of the kitchen, all knowing when it came to events in the city and someone who, no matter what, would be there to bail you out of a jam if you needed it. You brought so much laughter every time I was around you . . . that laugh out loud, tears rolling down your cheeks kind of laughter. Thank you for that. I will miss you so much and think of you every day!

Chandra

What I've learned from Eric Vandermay...

Eric had a great circle of friends. All of them have something special about them, something that makes them extraordinary. I love that about him, and it makes me appreciate our friends even more.

By nature I am a hermit, non-social. Knowing Eric has helps me understand that you have to put yourself out into the world. The world will not come seeking you out.

Because of Eric, I also know that success comes from doing, not simply wishing or wanting. We shot my short film, we made it happen.

Ultimately, Eric's life teaches me that it's not what you do that counts, it's who you love.

(and one more, since we met playing poker; if you're going to bluff, you have to go all the way)

jpj

Hey Eric, this was a hard weekend. I had a shoot in Parker, that we
both photographed together the past two years. It sure seemed like
something was missing. The kids even asked where the Pokemon matte
was. I loved working with you, because you could make long shoot go by
quickly. Your sense of humor, and love of photography made for some
great shoots. The gang at Imagetek will never forget you! Your the
best.

Patrick

Hey Shasty- Went to City Park last week to walk Tufa dog and the park
was so silent. Your spirit is missed very much. Such a kind, giving and
fun person. When ever you came over our animals were always all about
you and getting your attention. Animals know nice people! You will
always be in our minds, a reminder to keep our friends close and enjoy
life and whatever it presents. Thank you for all the joy you brought us
all, we will never forget you!- Love you - Amy

Hi. My name is Nicole and I just found out about Eric's death and I am terribly
sad; in shock, really.

My parents and Eric's mom grew up together in CT. They have always remained
friends; our families were close. Eric and I were born around the same time and
we sort of grew up...well, together.... if just for a few weeks of summer each
year. All of my summer memories involve Rich, Mary, Eric, Matt, and eventually,
Emily. Eric was as much fun as a kid as he was as an adult. Of course we lost
touch sometimes when our parents lost touch, but news and stories were always
exchanged. A few years ago, after I moved to Boston, we got back in touch. He
visited me just around the time he was really getting into photography. He got
to meet my husband-to-be and they smoked a cigar together. He sent me some great
shots taken at Holy Land in Waterbury, CT and he wrote me some fabulous letters.
Our families continued to keep in touch and I had heard Erik was really happy in
CO....... I just thought of him the other day when putting up one of his
photographs in my house. Whenever I think of summer on the Cape, I think of him.

On behalf of my family (Nick, JoAnn, Lauren and Murali) and myself, we are
terribly sad that the world has lost Eric. He was an incredible guy and we'll
miss him very much..

Love, Nicole

Eric,
It touched me so much to see how much you meant to so many other people. I always knew you were special and it made me hurt even more to see how hard it was for so many other people to let you go. I hope you know how much you mean to me, and how much I'm gonna miss you. Who's gonna text me now? I'm tryin' really hard to remember all of our fun times and smile not cry. Remember the last night of Lefty's we got all drunk and the butt of my jeans ripped so we went to Ross and they were about to close, so you and Junior blocked me in a corner to try them on then we got kicked out. I love you Eric and miss you terribly.

Love Always

Josie

Hey Shasmatic--

Tip one back with Frank, Dino, and Sammy for me. I hear they've been
looking for a fourth for poker.

The town is a whole lot emptier without you, man. Walked by Duffy's
yesterday. That was tough. I'll have the blackened prime rib for you. And
some rice pudding. Don't think I can ever go back to the Breakfast King. Not
now.

I'm sorry we never got around to making a film together. We only talked
about it for a couple of years. We should have had 50 more to keep talking
about it.

I will miss you dearly. Send me a text message when you can.

Love you.

Gary