Rest in Peace, DaveRoberts'Shoes

[mr_smith02]

Tragic loss on many levels.
He helped me immensely when I underwent major surgery for a Lisfranc Joint fracture. Knowledgeable and so concerned for me…a person he never met in person. RIP

 

[kartvelo]

Only the second SoSHer I've ever met in person.

A few weeks after I got a stage 4 cancer diagnosis at the end of 2022, my shoulder began to hurt badly suddenly one morning, the day after getting a shot in that shoulder. I assumed the pain was related to the shot and the way I'd slept on it that night. Being familiar with DRS from his work in game threads, I contacted him for advice. Because of the cancer diagnosis, he was concerned about the pain and told me to come by his office a couple days from then, first thing in the morning, and he'd fit me in.

He did fit me in, did x-rays, the whole deal, and decided I should see his colleague who was a cervical specialist. The x-rays from that specialist led to other referrals, and eventually it was discovered that two cervical vertebrae had been compromised by the cancer and had to be removed (to be replaced with titanium cages, rods, and screws). Surgery, chemo, radiation, etc. has followed.

It seems that the neck vertebrae were so compromised that they might have given way at any time without warning, rendering me quadriplegic or killing me. DRS's fitting me into his schedule almost immediately, just as a courtesy to a SoSHer, might have saved my life, enabling me to continue enjoying life with my family for as long as the cancer will allow.

 

[BigSoxFan]

Only the second SoSHer I've ever met in person.

A few weeks after I got a stage 4 cancer diagnosis at the end of 2022, my shoulder began to hurt badly suddenly one morning, the day after getting a shot in that shoulder. I assumed the pain was related to the shot and the way I'd slept on it that night. Being familiar with DRS from his work in game threads, I contacted him for advice. Because of the cancer diagnosis, he was concerned about the pain and told me to come by his office a couple days from then, first thing in the morning, and he'd fit me in.

He did fit me in, did x-rays, the whole deal, and decided I should see his colleague who was a cervical specialist. The x-rays from that specialist led to other referrals, and eventually it was discovered that two cervical vertebrae had been compromised by the cancer and had to be removed (to be replaced with titanium cages, rods, and screws). Surgery, chemo, radiation, etc. has followed.

It seems that the neck vertebrae were so compromised that they might have given way at any time without warning, rendering me quadriplegic or killing me. DRS's fitting me into his schedule almost immediately, just as a courtesy to a SoSHer, might have saved my life, enabling me to continue enjoying life with my family for as long as the cancer will allow.

That is a touching story and wishing you the best with your health.

 

[Archer1979]

In a world that needs all the light that it can get, ours got a little bit darker. Rest in Peace Doctor. May God Bless You and Your Family.

 

[CaptainLaddie]

Only the second SoSHer I've ever met in person.

A few weeks after I got a stage 4 cancer diagnosis at the end of 2022, my shoulder began to hurt badly suddenly one morning, the day after getting a shot in that shoulder. I assumed the pain was related to the shot and the way I'd slept on it that night. Being familiar with DRS from his work in game threads, I contacted him for advice. Because of the cancer diagnosis, he was concerned about the pain and told me to come by his office a couple days from then, first thing in the morning, and he'd fit me in.

He did fit me in, did x-rays, the whole deal, and decided I should see his colleague who was a cervical specialist. The x-rays from that specialist led to other referrals, and eventually it was discovered that two cervical vertebrae had been compromised by the cancer and had to be removed (to be replaced with titanium cages, rods, and screws). Surgery, chemo, radiation, etc. has followed.

It seems that the neck vertebrae were so compromised that they might have given way at any time without warning, rendering me quadriplegic or killing me. DRS's fitting me into his schedule almost immediately, just as a courtesy to a SoSHer, might have saved my life, enabling me to continue enjoying life with my family for as long as the cancer will allow.

This is legitimately beautiful and so sad at the same time. Chris was the best of us, just a truly giving and wonderful person. It's all so unfair that he's not with his family and his patients. Just a truly great guy who gave everything to everyone. And @kartvelo, I hope only the best for you, hugs my dude.

 

[bernardsamuel]

SoSH is a community of posters who offer facts, informed opinions based upon limited facts, conjectures based upon even more limited facts, speculations based on no facts, dreams, wishes, hopes, banter, good behavior, bad behavior, and even drunken behavior. Chris always knew and made clear to the community in which realm he was posting; the rest of us should aim for such clarity.

As I’m 76 years old, my second cut in reading obituaries (seeing if my name or the name of anyone I know will always be anyone’s first cut) is to sense the split in obituaries between those older than I am and those younger. I weep a little when I come across younger decedents. And now I’m at the stage when I’m seeing much too frequently decedents who are younger even than my son (53, may he live and be well to 120). Chris’s passing really hurts….

I scanned my way through the earlier postings in this thread (sometimes I imagine that I taught Evelyn Wood how to read fast so many decades ago) and am fascinated by the discussion whether it shows more honor to retire Chris’s number (avatar) or for everyone to don it at the same moment. My temptation as regards bestowing honor would be to name a medical thread after him (“Roberts Rules!” or “Geary’s Cut and Paste” perhaps).

RIP, Chris, and if you run across Arthur Pappas, do a post-mortem with him on some of his late-career challenging cases.

 

[InsideTheParker]

That is a touching story and wishing you the best with your health.

Yes, that story made me cry. I will be wishing @kartvelo good health from here on out. A caring doctor can make so much difference. I haven't met that many of them. You/we were lucky to have Dr. Geary in our world. So short a time, though, it's not fair.

 

[Montana Fan]

Chris’ passing is so sad. Since it was first announced on SoSH I’ve thought of my few interactions with him. He always added something. He was the opposite of an inane BS poster. He’d be a great model for all posters and if Roberts’ Rule = Add Value, then I’m 100% supportive of it.

 

[YTF]

I'm so appreciative of all that Chris offered to the membership here and definitely plan on making a donation in some sort of multiple of $10 which will be augmented by a portion of any Superbowl pool winnings that I might luck into today. I'm mentioning this as a challenge to anyone else who might be fortunate to win a few extra dollars today.

 

[simplicio]

Here's the donation link again for page 3:
https://tacanow.org/donate/

 

[joe dokes]

Pete Abe with a mention on todays Glob:

Condolences to the family and many friends of Dr. Christopher Geary, who passed away this month at the age of 52. Geary was a fixture at Fenway Park alongside his son, Kellan, and a frequent source of wisdom — and good humor — on orthopedic questions for both the Globe and the larger baseball community …

 

[nolasoxfan]

Sad and unsettling. We are a lesser community without him.

 

[donutogre]

I didn’t know Chris, but the stories in this thread say it all. He struck me as an exceedingly kind, intelligent, and fun poster. His obit drives that home to an extreme degree - what a great life, and he’s gone way too soon. Major condolences to all his friends and family. $10 going to his charity of choice, probably at least a few times this year.

 

[Manuel Aristides]

This sucks. We -- SoSH, Red Sox Nation, America, Humanity-- are lesser without him. I will send $10 to a medical charity in his honor. (Edit: now I see the link in the obit, rest assured, that's the spot for my co-pay.)

 

[Bunt4aTriple]

Donated. I put his name in the "in memory of" slot.

 

[YTF]

I'm so appreciative of all that Chris offered to the membership here and definitely plan on making a donation in some sort of multiple of $10 which will be augmented by a portion of any Superbowl pool winnings that I might luck into today. I'm mentioning this as a challenge to anyone else who might be fortunate to win a few extra dollars today.

Bumping to say that I was fortunate enough to have made a few dollars on yesterday's game and will indeed augment my multiple "co-pays" that will be made in Chris' memory. The challenge stands to anyone else who profited on the Super Bowl.

 

[Rasputin]

Nobody else is allowed to die.

 

[S. H. Frog]

What a sad turn of events. RIP.

 

[Adirondack jack]

Dr. Geary without question was a first ballot hall of fame poster on sosh.

Having read through all the reflections from strangers, friends, patients and all the accounts of his personal life it really seems like he was a rarity (somewhat like our other recently perished Red Sox legend Tim Wakefield) and the world lost a truly great person. An owed co-pay to his charity of choice feels like the least we can do to commemorate a life such well lived.

A leader through example. The best kind of leaders.

The Red Sox truly have gone to shit if they don't have the family throw out a first pitch this summer. Make it happen Theo!

Donate - The Autism Community in Action (tacanow.org)

 

[YTF]

Dr. Geary without question was a first ballot hall of fame poster on sosh.

Having read through all the reflections from strangers, friends, patients and all the accounts of his personal life it really seems like he was a rarity (somewhat like our other recently perished Red Sox legend Tim Wakefield) and the world lost a truly great person. An owed co-pay to his charity of choice feels like the least we can do to commemorate a life such well lived.

A leader through example. The best kind of leaders.

The Red Sox truly have gone to shit if they don't have the family throw out a first pitch this summer. Make it happen Theo!

Donate - The Autism Community in Action (tacanow.org)

I enjoyed your post, but would like to add that there could be other things that might factor into the possibility of the family not throwing out a first pitch.

 

[nclauser]

Just adding my voice to the chorus of folks who are grateful for DRS's rich contributions to this community and saddened to hear that he's gone. Sincere condolences to all who knew him in the real world.

 

[JMDurron]

Donated. I put his name in the "in memory of" slot.

Same. It’s not the most intuitive donation site on mobile, so you have to actively ensure you select that vs “in honor of”, if that’s the intent behind the donation.

 

[findguapo]

RIP. Add me to the list that was very appreciative to him for his SoSH medical advice. I had surgery to repair a torn labrum and rotator cuff back in my college baseball days, approx 17-18 years ago. He was helpful and accessible with my questions and helped me immensely in my recovery. Like another poster said, he was one of the posters on this message board that I always stopped to read his post when I saw his name.

 

[103mph Screwball]

RIP to a 1st ballot HOF SOSH member and all around excellent man. Way too soon.

 

[luckysox]

@Rasputin has it right: nobody else is allowed to die.

Deaths like this are especially hard for me to process - just not how it's supposed to be. Rest easy, DRS.

 

[Sille Skrub]

Today is Chris’s son Kellan’s 13th birthday. It’s a perfect day to donate to the autism foundation TACA in their name if you haven’t already.

 

[RG33]

Today is Chris’s son Kellan’s 13th birthday. It’s a perfect day to donate to the autism foundation TACA in their name if you haven’t already.

Thanks for the post and the link.

 

[Ted Cox 4 president]

Thanks for the heads-up. Donated.

 

[Pedroia's Itchy Nose]

Just gutted by this. Does anyone know if there is a way to donate to TACA without giving them my personal contact info?

 

[shepard50]

What a huge loss. DRS was a terrific guy, and that came though in his posts, in his advocacy for the ASD community and in his social networks. Taken WAY too young. Love to his family.

 

[steeplechase3k]

Thanks for the reminder, I donated $10 today.

 

[pokey_reese]

Today is Chris’s son Kellan’s 13th birthday. It’s a perfect day to donate to the autism foundation TACA in their name if you haven’t already.

It's going to take so many posts before I stop doing a double-take. It still doesn't feel real, and I keep hoping that it's a misunderstanding.

 

[Sille Skrub]

Just gutted by this. Does anyone know if there is a way to donate to TACA without giving them my personal contact info?

Send them a check?

The Autism Community in Action
17752 Sky Park Cir, Ste 140
Irvine, CA 92614

949.640.4401 phone

 

[DRSBrother]

Hi all - sorry to dredge up a relatively old thread. I'm Chris' brother, Dan. I just came across this thread and wanted to say thank you to everyone who contributed a nice story or kind words about Chris. It's been a tough couple months for my family but we all appreciate that he left such a positive impression on his colleagues and friends, both in real world and on here. I've got too many Sox/Pats stories with him to possibly share them all, but being at Game 4 of the ALCS together in 2004 is one of my favorites - him watching from our seats, me watching on TV underneath the centerfield bleachers from the top of the 9th on because I didn't want to see the Yankees win it at Fenway. We went to every home game of the postseason that year. He was so excited when Papi hit his walk-off against the Angels that he headbutted me right in the mouth; good thing he was a doctor and could prescribe "suck it up, it'll stop bleeding eventually." Up until the end, we'd talk about how the guy who had the seats next to us for Game 1 of the 2004 World Series never showed up and missed Bellhorn's foul pole shot. Those were all long before iPhones though, so I don't have any pics to share unfortunately. Below is a pic of us just after the end of Super Bowl 49, about ten minutes after Malcolm Butler saved the season. Two seasons later, he asked if I wanted to go to the Pats-Falcons Super Bowl with him but I declined, saying "nothing could be a better ending than the Malcolm Butler game. I'm going out on top." Oops, my bad. Just goes to show how generous he was to always let me tag along to the innumerable Boston sports events he bought tickets to.

Anyways, thank you all again for the kind thoughts. I'm glad he entertained you all for so many years on here. He'll be missed by all of us.
- Dan

 

[Kenny F'ing Powers]

Hi all - sorry to dredge up a relatively old thread. I'm Chris' brother, Dan. I just came across this thread and wanted to say thank you to everyone who contributed a nice story or kind words about Chris. It's been a tough couple months for my family but we all appreciate that he left such a positive impression on his colleagues and friends, both in real world and on here. I've got too many Sox/Pats stories with him to possibly share them all, but being at Game 4 of the ALCS together in 2004 is one of my favorites - him watching from our seats, me watching on TV underneath the centerfield bleachers from the top of the 9th on because I didn't want to see the Yankees win it at Fenway. We went to every home game of the postseason that year. He was so excited when Papi hit his walk-off against the Angels that he headbutted me right in the mouth; good thing he was a doctor and could prescribe "suck it up, it'll stop bleeding eventually." Up until the end, we'd talk about how the guy who had the seats next to us for Game 1 of the 2004 World Series never showed up and missed Bellhorn's foul pole shot. Those were all long before iPhones though, so I don't have any pics to share unfortunately. Below is a pic of us just after the end of Super Bowl 49, about ten minutes after Malcolm Butler saved the season. Two seasons later, he asked if I wanted to go to the Pats-Falcons Super Bowl with him but I declined, saying "nothing could be a better ending than the Malcolm Butler game. I'm going out on top." Oops, my bad. Just goes to show how generous he was to always let me tag along to the innumerable Boston sports events he bought tickets to.

Anyways, thank you all again for the kind thoughts. I'm glad he entertained you all for so many years on here. He'll be missed by all of us.
- Dan

Damn, so sorry Dan. Thanks for posting us in here. Always good to hear good memories of Chris.

 

[cornwalls@6]

Hi all - sorry to dredge up a relatively old thread. I'm Chris' brother, Dan. I just came across this thread and wanted to say thank you to everyone who contributed a nice story or kind words about Chris. It's been a tough couple months for my family but we all appreciate that he left such a positive impression on his colleagues and friends, both in real world and on here. I've got too many Sox/Pats stories with him to possibly share them all, but being at Game 4 of the ALCS together in 2004 is one of my favorites - him watching from our seats, me watching on TV underneath the centerfield bleachers from the top of the 9th on because I didn't want to see the Yankees win it at Fenway. We went to every home game of the postseason that year. He was so excited when Papi hit his walk-off against the Angels that he headbutted me right in the mouth; good thing he was a doctor and could prescribe "suck it up, it'll stop bleeding eventually." Up until the end, we'd talk about how the guy who had the seats next to us for Game 1 of the 2004 World Series never showed up and missed Bellhorn's foul pole shot. Those were all long before iPhones though, so I don't have any pics to share unfortunately. Below is a pic of us just after the end of Super Bowl 49, about ten minutes after Malcolm Butler saved the season. Two seasons later, he asked if I wanted to go to the Pats-Falcons Super Bowl with him but I declined, saying "nothing could be a better ending than the Malcolm Butler game. I'm going out on top." Oops, my bad. Just goes to show how generous he was to always let me tag along to the innumerable Boston sports events he bought tickets to.

Anyways, thank you all again for the kind thoughts. I'm glad he entertained you all for so many years on here. He'll be missed by all of us.
- Dan

Thanks for sharing that amazing post Dan. My condolences to you and your family. I never had the pleasure of meeting Chris, but always enjoyed his posts and insights here. He sure seems to have been a really great guy.

 

[Harry Hooper]

Hi all - sorry to dredge up a relatively old thread. I'm Chris' brother, Dan. I just came across this thread and wanted to say thank you to everyone who contributed a nice story or kind words about Chris. It's been a tough couple months for my family but we all appreciate that he left such a positive impression on his colleagues and friends, both in real world and on here.

Thanks for sharing, Dan. Please hug everybody in the family for SoSH.

 

[CarolinaBeerGuy]

Hi all - sorry to dredge up a relatively old thread. I'm Chris' brother, Dan. I just came across this thread and wanted to say thank you to everyone who contributed a nice story or kind words about Chris. It's been a tough couple months for my family but we all appreciate that he left such a positive impression on his colleagues and friends, both in real world and on here. I've got too many Sox/Pats stories with him to possibly share them all, but being at Game 4 of the ALCS together in 2004 is one of my favorites - him watching from our seats, me watching on TV underneath the centerfield bleachers from the top of the 9th on because I didn't want to see the Yankees win it at Fenway. We went to every home game of the postseason that year. He was so excited when Papi hit his walk-off against the Angels that he headbutted me right in the mouth; good thing he was a doctor and could prescribe "suck it up, it'll stop bleeding eventually." Up until the end, we'd talk about how the guy who had the seats next to us for Game 1 of the 2004 World Series never showed up and missed Bellhorn's foul pole shot. Those were all long before iPhones though, so I don't have any pics to share unfortunately. Below is a pic of us just after the end of Super Bowl 49, about ten minutes after Malcolm Butler saved the season. Two seasons later, he asked if I wanted to go to the Pats-Falcons Super Bowl with him but I declined, saying "nothing could be a better ending than the Malcolm Butler game. I'm going out on top." Oops, my bad. Just goes to show how generous he was to always let me tag along to the innumerable Boston sports events he bought tickets to.

Anyways, thank you all again for the kind thoughts. I'm glad he entertained you all for so many years on here. He'll be missed by all of us.
- Dan

Thank you so much for sharing. Stick around. We’re not all that bad. For the most part, anyway.

 

[Beomoose]

Hi all - sorry to dredge up a relatively old thread. I'm Chris' brother, Dan. I just came across this thread and wanted to say thank you to everyone who contributed a nice story or kind words about Chris. It's been a tough couple months for my family but we all appreciate that he left such a positive impression on his colleagues and friends, both in real world and on here. I've got too many Sox/Pats stories with him to possibly share them all, but being at Game 4 of the ALCS together in 2004 is one of my favorites - him watching from our seats, me watching on TV underneath the centerfield bleachers from the top of the 9th on because I didn't want to see the Yankees win it at Fenway. We went to every home game of the postseason that year. He was so excited when Papi hit his walk-off against the Angels that he headbutted me right in the mouth; good thing he was a doctor and could prescribe "suck it up, it'll stop bleeding eventually." Up until the end, we'd talk about how the guy who had the seats next to us for Game 1 of the 2004 World Series never showed up and missed Bellhorn's foul pole shot. Those were all long before iPhones though, so I don't have any pics to share unfortunately. Below is a pic of us just after the end of Super Bowl 49, about ten minutes after Malcolm Butler saved the season. Two seasons later, he asked if I wanted to go to the Pats-Falcons Super Bowl with him but I declined, saying "nothing could be a better ending than the Malcolm Butler game. I'm going out on top." Oops, my bad. Just goes to show how generous he was to always let me tag along to the innumerable Boston sports events he bought tickets to.

Anyways, thank you all again for the kind thoughts. I'm glad he entertained you all for so many years on here. He'll be missed by all of us.
- Dan

Thank you so much for sharing your brother with us, Dan. Please know you're always welcome here.

 

[DennyDoyle'sBoil]

Hi all - sorry to dredge up a relatively old thread. I'm Chris' brother, Dan. I just came across this thread and wanted to say thank you to everyone who contributed a nice story or kind words about Chris. It's been a tough couple months for my family but we all appreciate that he left such a positive impression on his colleagues and friends, both in real world and on here. I've got too many Sox/Pats stories with him to possibly share them all, but being at Game 4 of the ALCS together in 2004 is one of my favorites - him watching from our seats, me watching on TV underneath the centerfield bleachers from the top of the 9th on because I didn't want to see the Yankees win it at Fenway. We went to every home game of the postseason that year. He was so excited when Papi hit his walk-off against the Angels that he headbutted me right in the mouth; good thing he was a doctor and could prescribe "suck it up, it'll stop bleeding eventually." Up until the end, we'd talk about how the guy who had the seats next to us for Game 1 of the 2004 World Series never showed up and missed Bellhorn's foul pole shot. Those were all long before iPhones though, so I don't have any pics to share unfortunately. Below is a pic of us just after the end of Super Bowl 49, about ten minutes after Malcolm Butler saved the season. Two seasons later, he asked if I wanted to go to the Pats-Falcons Super Bowl with him but I declined, saying "nothing could be a better ending than the Malcolm Butler game. I'm going out on top." Oops, my bad. Just goes to show how generous he was to always let me tag along to the innumerable Boston sports events he bought tickets to.

Anyways, thank you all again for the kind thoughts. I'm glad he entertained you all for so many years on here. He'll be missed by all of us.
- Dan

Thanks for posting Dan. I'm really sorry for your loss.

 

[oldmil007]

Like a lot of folks here, I'm pretty undone with this news of DRS passing. His comments and replies here defined the best of us and were a treat to come upon. Knowledgable, funny and kind. Without a doubt, Team Physician for the Cosmic All Stars.

 

[AB in DC]

He'll be missed by all of us.

He already is. Thank you for sharing. Way too young to lose a brother like that.

 

[Sox and Rocks]

I know I'm quite late here (I don't spend as much time on this wonderful site as I used to and didn't see this until now), but let me add my condolences to Chris' friends and family. While I never met him in person, we PM'd multiple times over the years, often about health and parenting issues, most of which he initiated based on a post of mine, and he was always beyond kind, knowledgeable, and gracious with his expertise and guidance. His contributions to this site and those of us who spend time here were remarkable. He is and will continue to be missed.

RIP DRS/Chris.

 

[Andy Merchant]

Hi all - sorry to dredge up a relatively old thread. I'm Chris' brother, Dan. I just came across this thread and wanted to say thank you to everyone who contributed a nice story or kind words about Chris. It's been a tough couple months for my family but we all appreciate that he left such a positive impression on his colleagues and friends, both in real world and on here. I've got too many Sox/Pats stories with him to possibly share them all, but being at Game 4 of the ALCS together in 2004 is one of my favorites - him watching from our seats, me watching on TV underneath the centerfield bleachers from the top of the 9th on because I didn't want to see the Yankees win it at Fenway. We went to every home game of the postseason that year. He was so excited when Papi hit his walk-off against the Angels that he headbutted me right in the mouth; good thing he was a doctor and could prescribe "suck it up, it'll stop bleeding eventually." Up until the end, we'd talk about how the guy who had the seats next to us for Game 1 of the 2004 World Series never showed up and missed Bellhorn's foul pole shot. Those were all long before iPhones though, so I don't have any pics to share unfortunately. Below is a pic of us just after the end of Super Bowl 49, about ten minutes after Malcolm Butler saved the season. Two seasons later, he asked if I wanted to go to the Pats-Falcons Super Bowl with him but I declined, saying "nothing could be a better ending than the Malcolm Butler game. I'm going out on top." Oops, my bad. Just goes to show how generous he was to always let me tag along to the innumerable Boston sports events he bought tickets to.

Anyways, thank you all again for the kind thoughts. I'm glad he entertained you all for so many years on here. He'll be missed by all of us.
- Dan

Thanks for sharing such a wonderful addition to this thread Dan. I'm so sorry for your loss, your brother was a legend around here (and likely elsewhere).

My main interaction with Chris was when I teased him on twitter about why he would let his kid wear a #41 John Lackey jersey. All was well when he pointed out it was Chris Sale, and not Lackey. I knew that, but couldn't resist.

 

[Kull]

You never know what to say when confronted with a loss so deep and profound. But you are missed Chris, by many.

 

[jon abbey]

View: https://twitter.com/alexspeier/status/1776680510498164966?s=46&t=0GHHaPVUX26Io0V2HIcS0g

 

[ookami7m]

Someone said it in the Story thread but it's so weird to not have him around for a diagnosis after an injury like this. Missed is an understatement.