"I read the news today, oh boy..."

Chas was such an amazing person. I had the pleasure of speaking with him for the first time around 15 years ago, when I had a question about my recently-acquired Monopoly. Very new to the hobby, I had some trepidation about calling the person pictured on the manual about a machine that had been out of warranty for several years, worrying whether my questions would be stupid or wondering if I would be spoken to in a condescending manner about "why are you calling me about this old game and you're not a tech why are you bothering me?" When I received his now-famous greeting on the other end of the phone, I seemed to sense right away that I was in good hands. He seemed to be genuinely happy that I had purchased my second-hand machine for my home use, and also talked me through my issue with great professionalism and care, warranty-be-damned. Then a few months ago, I had a node board go out a week after receiving my NIB BM66; I was surprised and happy that Chas answered my email, and he sent out a replacement immediately. This kind of service is rare, indeed, in any industry. It was apparent that Chas was a caring individual, not only about his job, but about the people he encountered on a daily basis.

My deepest sympathies to all who knew and loved him.