In memoriam, Kevin Pimentel 1974-2010
Ralph T
United States
Long Beach
California
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Kevin Pimentel
United States
Los Angeles
California
passed away on June 25, 2010 at age 36.
If you knew or played with Kevin, please share your memories of him with us.
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Ralph T
United States
Long Beach
California
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I met Kevin through Tanga. When Mayday minisleeves were on sale, I posted on the item that I was looking to do a group buy in Los Angeles. Kevin responded and ended up buying the sleeves. Because I ran a game day in Long Beach, I invited Kevin to come down and meet me. This began our friendship.
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Ralph T
United States
Long Beach
California
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Kevin was not a frequent poster on BGG, but I knew from my geekbuddy list that he was logging on daily (as frequently as me). It's sad to see his last log on is June 25, the day he passed away. This is the one geeklist he created. His last posts on BGG were to my thread on the strategicon math trade, trying to persuade me to go to the event.
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Ralph T
United States
Long Beach
California
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Kevin was a member of local game groups, including OC Gamers, West Arroyo gamers, and a frequent attendee and volunteer for Strategicon, LA's game conventions. I chose Duck Duck Bruce as the item here because he owned this game (to play with his nieces) and he frequented the Duck Club events for OC gamers.
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Ralph T
United States
Long Beach
California
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Kevin's favorite designer was Knizia. While he played the heavy stuff, he was a big fan of simple designs and of quick, elegant filler. Recently at the LA gaming convention, Orccon 2010, he hosted five hours of filler gaming, including Double or Nothing, High Society, and For Sale. I too am a big fan of filler, and wish I could have played some more games with him.
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5.
Board Game: Mr. Kongo
[Average Rating:4.80 Unranked]
Ralph T
United States
Long Beach
California
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Kevin was also a fan of poker style games. Many times we placed orders together to share or reach no shipping thresholds. The last order we placed together was to buy some import games from a BGG user. He picked up Grosse Fische, Kleine Fische, Relikt, Sleuth and the above Mr. Kongo. When we got Mr. Kongo we found it had no English instructions, and there was no translation on BGG. We wracked our brains trying to get a translation for the game, hoping to find someone who spoke Italian, French or German to translate it for us, including me posting and offering geekgold for a translation. Alas, this game will never be played.
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Ralph T
United States
Long Beach
California
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While Long Beach was a long drive from where he lived (around Fullerton), he could sometimes make it down for our gaming days. Twice he came to our home to play six-player games of Age of Empires III.
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Ralph T
United States
Long Beach
California
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I introduced this game to him at the 2009 Gameway game convention. He played a three player game and won on his first play, despite our warnings on how merciless game play was. He obviously liked it and this may have been the last game he acquired on June 19.
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Ralph T
United States
Long Beach
California
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Kevin, my wife and I played in a Slide 5 tournament the first convention I took my wife to. Kevin had some terrible rounds and ended up last. He laughed that he should get a prize for getting possibly the worst score in history of the game, over 100 skiers.
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Ralph T
United States
Long Beach
California
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I never played this game, but I know he was a big fan of Thunderstone. He won the Thunderstone tournament at the Orccon. I know he would've eagerly anticipated the expansions.
Kevin is the one with the metal bottle in this picture.
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Ralph T
United States
Long Beach
California
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Kevin was a gentleman and perfectly patient. He was never upset when he lost or the game went against him or boastful when he won, this is why he was so popular a gaming partner.
The last time I saw him was on June 5 at a game day in Pasadena. I was playing four player games and did not have the chance to play with him, though we chatted about his experiences at the Orccon.
He got sucked into a game of Order of the Stick. Though he was a fan of shorter, lighter Euro games, he was too polite to turn down a game when asked. I heard this game lasted over three hours.
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Ralph T
United States
Long Beach
California
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This is the last game I played with Kevin, a Knizia filler. I know wherever Kevin is now, he must be having a good time gaming. Kevin, you will be missed.
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Eddie H
United States
Los Angeles
California
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This game was one of Kevin's recent purchases, and we played it at Jennifer's about 6 weeks ago. Like most of Corné van Moorsel's designs, it plays much deeper than it looks. Although my team won the championship 3 out of 5 seasons, Kevin's team finished with a strong final season, and he picked up enough bonuses along the way to seal the victory.
I enjoyed the game and would like to play it again. Actually, what I really want is to play it again with Kevin. . .
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Eddie H
United States
Los Angeles
California
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Played this one with Kevin, John, and Jennifer two Saturdays ago. Simple rules with deep implications, and rather unforgiving of early mistakes.
Unfortunately, Kevin made the early mistake, and the game system kept grinding him down. However, he didn't complain, and gamely tried to catch up. We called the game early even though Kevin said he was willing to play on.
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14.
Board Game: Ra
[Average Rating:7.60 Overall Rank:48]
Eddie H
United States
Los Angeles
California
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Played this with Kevin, Johner, and Edie two Sundays ago. And it looks like this was the last game I'll get to play with Kevin. . .
Our paths crossed often enough in local gaming circles, and while we didn't play A LOT of games together, we did play several. I know that Dominion and its expansions were high on his list of favorites, but I'll let those who played those games with him often add them to this list.
My condolences go out to his family and loved ones. Kevin was a good guy to talk to, and a good gamer to game with.
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Graham Smallwood
United States
Santa Ana
California
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I think it was a little over a year ago that I joined the local RPGA. Kevin DM'd one of the first games I played. Radiant Vessel of Thesk. Kevin was just deadpan hilarious. I still remember laughing with strangers at that table in that scrubby little game store, which permanently got me over the nervousness of RPGs with strangers. I kinda have him to thank for a year of games and like 20 friends.
The game I chose here is a little tragic. At this last Strategicon, Kevin bought the inside cover of the program for an ad for his firm. I caught up to him at his flea market table and asked him for an autograph on it. He'd only agree if I bought something off his table. Don't even know what this game is, but now it is the Kevin Game.
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E.R. Burgess
United States
Glendora
California
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I post this not to promote the podcast but because I met Kevin when I was introduced to him as a fan of the show sometime last year. He was a bit shy about it but that is just part of his amazing charm. We became friends and he gamed here with us at Boardgame Babylon a few times. I'm honored that he had the podcast among his badges.
He was a prince of a guy, a solid competitor in games and a great volunteer GM at Strategicon. Anyone who has ever met him can tell you about how nice he is but I can also tell you he'd beat you like a drum in Dominion! 
I'm devastated that he's gone as there are few people I'd rather have at a game table with me. My heart goes out to his family during this tragic time and I hope they can take some solace in the fact that Kevin was so incredibly loved by the SoCal board game community.
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Jennifer Schlickbernd
United States
Pasadena
California
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Kevin and I and various others played a ton of Dominion together. In fact when I first started playing games with Kevin, this the game he chose most often.
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Jennifer Schlickbernd
United States
Pasadena
California
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Kevin played this at his last West Arroyo meet-up with his friend Johan. They greatly enjoyed it.
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Jennifer Schlickbernd
United States
Pasadena
California
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This the first game I remember playing with Kevin, in fact his comment to the West Arroyo Board Gamers meetup is "I'm a big fan of Jennifer S. and especially her game Valdora.".
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Mary Ann
United States
Camarillo
California
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This was the first game I played with Kevin, which we played at the Gamex convention last year. After the game he asked where I bought my copy of the game, as he was thinking about getting one for himself. I mentioned I got it at Borders with a coupon.
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Mary Ann
United States
Camarillo
California
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After playing BSG with Kevin, I didn't see or hear from him again until he sent me a GeekMail after I outbid him on a Geeklist auction. (I think the game was Colosseum.) He reminded me he was "the Asian guy" that I played BSG with at Gamex and thanked me for the Borders coupon tip for buying BSG. He noticed I bid on Shadows over Camelot in the same Geeklist auction, so he mentioned he was selling his copy. I ended up buying his copy of the game.
He said he thought Shadows over Camelot was pretty fun, but liked BSG more as you can do more as a revealed Cylon vs. an exposed traitor, and especially because he was a fan of the BSG TV show.
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Neil Figuracion
California
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Before the Gamex convention, I was suffering from a pretty bad case of hypertension. I posted something about it on Facebook and got a message from Kevin saying that he had a voucher for an hour massage that he would be able to pass along. It was really a great relief and made a big difference in the weeks before the convention. He was the most pleasurable volunteer to work with, easy going and really giving.
We could use a lot more folks like Kevin in the world. Thanks for everything, Mr. Pimentel.
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Eric M. Aldrich I
United States
California
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I often saw Kevin out in the flea market and had a few good conversations with him over the last year or so. I bought this game from him there for my wife, who couldn't make this past show.
He'll be missed by all of us at Strategicon that knew him, that's for sure.
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Orem
Utah
California
Amsterdam
My condolences to his family and loved ones. My heart goes out to all he got in touch with and to all the Geeks who knew him. It's a loss for us all.
Though it is very unfortunate that this is how I noticed I must say that it gives me a very warm feeling to see how close the BGG community is. With a tear almost flowing from my eye I am proud to be a part of this community.
In memory,...
Sherman Oaks
California
Simply shocking. Kevin was one of those regular faces at the major gaming functions in the city, such as the conventions and the games days. While I wasn't much more than an acquaintance that recognized him by name, I did know of his contributions to the local gaming scene.
He always performed yeoman's work at the Strategicon shows. I work the Boardgame HQ table, and would regulary see his name listed as the GM for many of the show's events. He seemed to be engaged in some game or another at all times, a true sign that he was a welcome presence among many gamers. He leaves some rather large shoes to fill.
Gaming in the L.A. area will definitely be at a loss without him. My deepest condolences to his family and friends.
Glendora
California