Aussie - Aussieslinger passed away suddenly on the 30th of march 2013.

Ludek to his friends, Ludwik siedlecki AKA Aussie was one of the longest and steadiest members of this forum and probably the most generous man I've ever known.  
Almost the last thing he ever did was to log on to the forum and prepare to send some aussie slings out to members around the world.  

A long time employee of the Australian postal service, Aussie developed his aussie-pouch using material from discarded conveyor belts.  
From january 2007 to the day he died, over six years later, Aussie was still making and sending pouches to anyone, anywhere in the world who wanted one.  
Completely free of charge.  
I'm not sure if we'll ever get a full count, as the first ones were unnumbered, but over the years, with only a few short pauses, he sent out many hundreds of pouches and complete slings, never once asking for anything in return.  

As well as being a long serving moderator and the forum expert on David and Goliath, Aussie's posts were always intelligent and he was never shy of taking a stand on something he felt strongly about.  

As well as giving to the forum, he also got something back in return. His estranged half-brother - whom Aussie had never met, tracked him down through his article on david and goliath, joined the forum to email aussie and they were eventually reunited.  

He always kept his family life seperate from his online 'life' - which is one reason we didn't find out about his death untill almost two months after - but he felt strongly enough to share the story of meeting his brother with us.  

One of my strongest regrets is that I never got the chance to meet him in the 'real' world.  
But that must be tempered with the undoubtable fact that the 'virtual' world allowed me to know a man half a world away, who I respected and whom I will never forget.  

Godspeed mate, go teach those angels to sling.

You will be remembered.