Gary Gygax, the father of role playing games is gone.

I had never met him but his invention greatly influenced my life. His game Dungeons & Dragons entered my life in 1990 when a few friends and I started playing fantasy role playing games. Dungeons & Dragons became an even bigger part of my life when I started The Lakeland Role Playing Guild, a club for Lakeland gaming enthusiasts to play fantasy role playing games, in 2001.

Most of my closes friendships were strengthened around the game table. I do not know what kind of man he was life but I do know he gave a wonderful gift to me, my friends, & the world.

Godspeed Mr. Gygax, may your eyries receive you, now at the journey's end.

Below is the CNN article:

"Gary Gygax, Dungeons & Dragons creator, dies

MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin (AP) -- Gary Gygax, who co-created the fantasy game Dungeons & Dragons and helped start the role-playing phenomenon, died Tuesday morning at his home in Lake Geneva. He was 69.

He had been suffering from health problems for several years, including an abdominal aneurysm, said his wife, Gail Gygax.

Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson developed Dungeons & Dragons in 1974 using medieval characters and mythical creatures. The game known for its oddly shaped dice became a hit, particularly among teenage boys, and eventually was turned into video games, books and movies.

Gygax always enjoyed hearing from the game's legion of devoted fans, many of whom would stop by the family's home in Lake Geneva, about 55 miles southwest of Milwaukee, his wife said. Despite his declining health, he hosted weekly games of Dungeons & Dragons as recently as January, she said.

"It really meant a lot to him to hear from people from over the years about how he helped them become a doctor, a lawyer, a policeman, what he gave them," Gygax said. "He really enjoyed that."

Dungeons & Dragons players create fictional characters and carry out their adventures with the help of complicated rules. The quintessential geek pastime, it spawned a wealth of copycat games and later inspired a whole genre of computer games that's still growing in popularity.

Funeral arrangements are pending. Besides his wife, Gygax is survived by six children."