... a man you don’t meet every day
Marc David Richard Rigby
July 27, 1969 – January 21, 2011
Obituary | Tributes | Service of Celebration | Photo Gallery | Marc's Xmas Baskets
Jennifer Casu's Remarks (Cousin)
When I was young I was in awe of Marc. I thought he was so cool. I remember going through his records, picking the ones with the most interesting covers and then getting Marc's help to record them on tape. I listened to those tapes over and over.
I thought Marc knew everything...
Sometimes he thought this too...
This belief in Marc continued throughout my career. We had many opportunities to work with the same organizations. We were a pretty great team.
Of course, Marc was much more than a great colleague - he was a lot of fun!
I remember drives from Burlington to Bath with Mike, Marc and I in the back seat of the car - where any bend in the road provided Marc the opportunity to demonstrate the properties of centrifugal force.
Oh and vegetables...
Marc and I had weeks of fun with a zucchini someone had given us from their garden. First I found it in my briefcase, then it was under Marc's pillow, next in my desk drawer at work, then in his car, and on and on.
Another frequent experience when we lived in the same house was waking up having a carrot or other root vegetable stuck in my ear with Marc unable to contain his giggling.
Competition over chocolate, especially "hedgehogs" led to a rapidly escalating situation which included Marc or Mike regularly licking all the hedgehogs the minute the box was open. By the way, it turns out - they are still good - even licked.
Marc always treated me as his little sister. He has been there for me during the hardest times in my life and shared the best moments.
Marc has been a fantastic uncle to my boys, always fulfilling their wishes no matter how unreasonable.
From tracking down a REAL cuckoo clock when that was the ONLY thing Aidan wanted for his third birthday, to making a platypus birthday cake when Harrison insisted that this was the only kind of cake he wanted.
He spoke to the boys like they were grown-ups and they hung on his every word.
Sometimes this backfired.....
For example, Harrison refuses to wear sandals - why you might ask?
Well, Harrison does not like getting dirt on his feet and he will regularly remind me that Uncle Marc doesn't wear sandals either and that Uncle Marc agrees with him that sandals are bad due to the risk of dirty feet.
We have all, I am sure, experienced Marc's great capacity to care and to make us feel special.
Remembered birthdays...
A shared joke...
Being there for his friends when times are hard...
A shoulder to cry on, a laugh to lighten things up...
And, of course, the best stories. Like the time the flight attendant dumped a drink on his head, or unreasonable customer service experiences where the poor soul on the other end of the phone must have been very surprised to encounter a customer with such tenacity.
A number of years ago Marc mailed me a haiku he had cut out of the newspaper. It has been on my refrigerator since. I think it sums up many of Marc's feelings about faulty technology and poor workmanship.
It is titled "Toaster Haiku":
Angry toastless man
Malfunctioning appliance
Senseless killing spree
The last few years have been particularly difficult for Marc, but there was a bright, shining light in Janice.
Janice, thank you for the love you shared with Marc. I know you made him so happy and there is nothing more powerful in life than love. Janice, you are a wonderful person and I can clearly see why Marc loves you so much....
Since I received the toaster haiku in the mail, I thought that a good wedding present for Marc would be a shiny toaster with the toaster haiku engraved on its side.
Janice, when you least expect it, you may receive this toaster - I am just not sure I can contain myself.
Marc LIVED....
He was his own person...
He loved and was loved...
He touched all of our lives and we will never forget him.
Marc, you loved this song and you always said this is the way you wanted your celebration to be. We dedicate this to you and to your memory....