Never met O-din in person, but I appreciate(d) his sense of humor. I would always be impressed by the occasional nugget of pinball knowledge found in some of his posts.
Could he be a thorn in the side of the moderators? Sure. There are people in my family that can be a bit prickily (who knows, they may see me in the same way), but they are always welcome and more often than not fun be around.
Hopefully Pinside's outspoken crazy uncle returns one day.