In memory of our founder, Ian "Mac" McIntosh

Very sad news

The world has lost another gentile, creative person. Thanks so much to him for his passion for our X19's and sharing this with the world. It would be wonderful if we could somehow realise the dream of restoring his 74 Orange X and donating it to a museum in his memory.
Terry
 
My dear friend Mac

I will miss your friendship, good advice and council. It was always my hope that, should I find myself with sufficient funds, I would visit you and Rose in Seattle. Now that cannot be.
I knew you since before the Xweb site became popular and was always in awe of your complete commitment to the community. We spoke at length during your visit in '96(?) and wished to expand on our friendship but could only chat via the site and through emails.
I know that the loss of your Dad hit you very hard and that sometimes the tone and timbre of your words hinted at The Black Dog within. I will miss you more than these poor words can adequately express .........

Rose - may your grief be tempered by the fact that with you he both loved and cherished you. You were always a source of great joy for him. I well remember his post when, shortly after meeting you, he realised he'd fallen hard for you.

If I may paraphrase a famous poem about the loss of loved ones:

He shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary him, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember him....
 
My deepest sympathy!!!

Mac this forum is your legacy !!!....this forum makes the world small, our passion for our little italian masterpieces united so many countries, United States,United Kingdom,Mexico,Puerto Rico,Australia, NewZealand,Israel, etc...all meet here and you will be remembered!!!

Peace
Paz
Shalom
Pace

Rafy and Rosa
 
Wow..

What a sad thing to find out. :sad:

I'm so glad I stuffed a drill bit in my broken cold start hose and made the trip up to Mac's party that day so long ago. If I hadn't, I would not have met him. I still remember Mac in his car, loaded with people standing in both trunks, doing donuts in his back yard. He was having such a great time.

J1st2k-09.jpg
 
I'm truly at a loss for words

but Mac, thank you for coming into our lives.

Thank you for being my friend.

I will miss you.

Rudy
 
How incredibly sad.

My heart and prayers go out to you, Rose. I didn't know Mac personally, but I was fortunate to meet him here and have benefited from his creation, the XWeb forum. He will be sorely missed.
Rest in Heaven, Mac!
 
I saw the article in the paper on Monday and just had a funny feeling about it. Maybe it's because I've had to investigate these before, maybe it was something else. Either way, it made me sad, knowing the pain of all involved and the pain he must have been in to do it.

I've been on this forum for several years and it always made me feel kind of bad knowing that the guy who started it didn't have a working X to enjoy and wished there was a way I could have encouraged him or helped him to make it happen. I've thought about it numerous time, but never met him to have the opportunity to bring it up, even though we don't live very far apart.

This forum is like none other I've ever been on, thanks in large part to Mac's influence and the tone he set. Mac's online presence was always thoughtful and reasoned and I missed his posts when he pulled away from here last year.

Thank you Mac for what you've done here and the community you established. May we honor you and your memory always.
 
I've known Mac since before the start of Xweb (what was I, member #6 or so?) and his enthusiasm knew no bounds and was very contagious.

He touched hundreds, if not thousands, of lives through his passions, so it's unimaginable to consider that he is not remembered after passing. Not all accomplishments leave a physical presence and his accomplishments lie in the hearts of us all.

Peace, Mac, peace.
 
I only knew him as Mac,,

Very obvious that he was very dedicated to X-web, kind, giving, and always there to help and be a friend. He frequently reminded me of my son, now 28 and in Calgary, I hoped to meet Mac on a trip that way some day. I've truly been touched by his presence on Xweb and feel a great loss.
Thanks for posting Rose, and my sincere condolences to you, and all Mac's family, and aquaintences.

Peace and love to you Mac.
 
Well ****.

Sorry for the profanity, but sometimes other words do not do enough justice.

I feel like I missed something, maybe something in what he said on the forum or did which would have made me give him a call and see how he was doing.

Mac was a good friend as well, and I will miss him. Damn it.

I am sorry to his friends and family as this is a terrible tragedy and we have lost a very interesting personality and mind in this world.

As one of the current Moderators and also an early member of this forum, I think when we agree on a date to get together, we should do everything in our power to attend. I want to make sure if anyone else on this forum is feeling along the same lines, that we get the chance to intervene if possible before another person is lost.

Eric Armstrong
Brownsville, Oregon.
 
I'm just stunned at the moment. Mac was a fixture. Something that I always expected to be there. I first 'met' Mac in the early days of the internet. At the time, it was amazing to find another Fiat fan existed. Back in the mid-90's, it was direct email, no forum. I remember Mac purchased a couple of green and white Corgi X1/9 models from me, for 'club use' or something to that effect. He will be missed. God bless.

Cesare
 
I'm just stunned....

I've not been on this forum for years as I gave up on my Exxie years ago, but I often thought of Mac and the rest of the folks I'd met on this forum.

I remember some of the issues he was fighting surrounding his father's passing, but I thought he'd gotten through them and was working diligently towards driving one his X's again. I don't know if ever did, but I hope he was able to.

His passion for this forum and the X-1/9 in general was almost palpable when visiting this forum. I feel he truly loved this place and it was in some ways his lifeline.

Rose, I can only imagine what you're feeling and I feel that I can only try to offer my condolences and to help the rest of the XWeb and SeattleX19 group grieve for the loss of one of our own.

I don't know what thoughts were troubling you before you chose to leave, but I hope you know that you were loved by many and will be missed greatly by so many.

Rest in peace Mac.

Stefan Mullikin
 
It has been 7 years

since I saw Mac last. The summer before I moved to Alaska. For the 4 or 5 years prior to that, he was a good friend. We chatted off and on since I moved, but our friendship lasted. He will be missed, as will his love of Fiats, and his love for you Rose.
 
So very sorry

Being relatively new to the forum I didn't know Mac well. He reached out to me right away when I joined, introducing himself and making me feel welcome, and I had a few exchanges with him during my time on here. He always came off as extremely nice and friendly. All of the comments here must truly speak to who he was as a person.

I'm so sorry for your loss. You Rose, his friends and family will be in my thoughts and prayers.
 
What a terrible loss

I never actually met Mac but felt like I knew him well. We spoke a few times via the forum and email and he was always a helpful and sincere. I cannot express in words how sad it is that Mac felt he had to take his own life. Rose, I am so sorry for your loss and pray that you and Mac's family find some kind of peace.

I will miss Mac's influence on this forum. I think that a memorial page should be posted as a permanent link on this website.
Brett
 
Dear Rose...

My most sincere condolences to you Rose. I can't imagine your sorrow. Do not bear the burden of Ian's loss. I know from personal experience that it is impossible for the average individual to understand the mind of someone so troubled. That one would take their own life is almost impossible to comprehend, let alone recognize in another. I am sure you were a comfort to him and I know from his writing here he loved you. I thank you for your dedication.

I had the opportunity to meet Ian several years ago. I was racing in the Seattle area and he came to the event to meet me. I was touched by the gesture. It was also Ian's correspondence with me on this forum that resulted in the "Famous 5 Speed 101". One of the most popular technical articles in all of X1/9 literature. It was a fun project, one that I am very proud of and will remember for the rest of my life. And it would never have happened without Ian.

You can be proud of Ian for what he has accomplished here. This little corner of the internet has grown into something very special. And is very much a reflection of its creator.

I am very sorry to hear of Ian's death. It is a tragedy. It is my hope that he had finally found the peace that escaped him in this world. May God rest his soul. And thank you Rose for coming here today. I am sure it was not an easy task.

Thank you for all you have done.

Sincerely,
Steve Hoelscher
 
Remembrance etc...

In talking with Rose, we should hold those thoughts for now. She's inundated with flowers etc.

She would like a little time to decide just how, but would like to have folks donate funds in Mac's name to a local cancer research facility if they would like to. Please hold on for now, until a place or fund is specified.

For those who wish to contribute to immediate cremation expenses or other immediate needs, you may paypal to gfs(at)gregoryfsmith.com. I will make sure the funds end up where they need to go.

See my other post for some thoughts on a memorial date.
 
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