Rich,
First off thank you for letting us know. This is a sad reality of online trading or any online activity for that matter, when people pass away you rarely ever find out until much later, if at all! People come and go from these sites as interests and schedules change and some of us may notice someone not posting or trading over time, but may assume that person is busy or was taking a break from their hobby. We have had people drop offline for years, only to return later on like nothing had changed. I experienced this first hand a few years ago when a member I had traded with and conversed with from time to time disappeared for a period of time. This was unusual for him I thought, however also I knew this gentlemen was battling cancer and unfortunately confirmed with an internet search that he had passed away.
It's nice to know that friends and family members are sometimes aware and thinking of these "extended" families when a loved one passes. It's even nicer that they will take the time to come aboard and make a hard announcement like this and let those of us who may or may not have known your dad well that he is gone, but won't be forgotten.
I hope you come to enjoy the site as much as your father did and my condolences.
Curt