An old friend passes.

Few simple things in life afford me as much pleasure as taking the pup for his evening ramble two blocks down the road to drop in on Bob Gorman at Weimax.

Bob Gorman, RIP.

To Peninsula regulars, Weimax is as good a wine shop as it gets. None of the mass merchandising of the big chains or the soullessness of the supermarket. The people here know you (and your dog) by name, are always happy to make time and chat, and no one minds waiting while locals shoot the breeze.

For me a trip to Weimax with Bert the Border Terrier always meant one thing. A chat with Bob on the latest happenings in the world of photography. We would share exhibitions we had seen and strongly felt opinions, and often exchange books from our burgeoning photography libraries. Recently he loaned me a monograph on Lee Miller and I replied with one from my collection. Bob loved photography and he had a rare eye for beauty.

I last saw him just before Thanksgiving when he explained he was off camping in the redwoods of the Santa Cruz forest off Highway 35, close to the Pacific, with the obligatory few bottles of favorite red, with food to match. Bob lived well. Today I dropped by with a recommendation for a new book only to be told by his assistant:

“Bob does not read any more.”

“Aw, c’mon, everyone reads. And Bob reads more than most.”

“Bob had a stroke at Thanksgiving and passed away.”

Bang. A brutal message, no punches pulled. But how else to put it? I was floored.

Just like that. No warning, no alert, no tell-tale hints.

Bob had moved on.

There’s nothing I can say.

Bob’s Flickr page survives him. It’s a repository of the many, many things he saw, loved and felt he had to share. Bob was a great enthusiast, and he knew all that is good and right, be it Paris, Italy or his beloved Bay Area. To get a sense of his eye, take a look at his pictures from Le Musée des Arts décoratifs in Paris. His Flickr pages – where he posted under the pseudonym ‘Romaneye’ – are wonderful resources for those looking for subjects. (Yahoo account needed to login).

Here’s the last snap Bob posted to his Flickr pages which contain thousands of his images – it’s a study of the Olsen Residence designed by architect Donald Olsen in 1952. Bob and I both loved the work of Julius Shulman and the modern International Style architecture school, so ably portrayed here. I cannot think of a better way of saying ‘Goodbye’ to a dear friend.

Wherever he may be, you can be sure of one thing. Bob is still busy snapping the many things of beauty his eye could never resist.