Realizing this is RPG and not board game related.... I just heard that Gary Gygax passed away. Can anyone confirm?

There's nothing from a Google search...where did you hear that?

I can confirm this VERY sad news.

I have (had?) known Gary for something like 35 years and worked for him at TSR after mowing his lawn for years. Although best known for his work on Dungeons and Dragons, Gary preferred board games and miniatures. He was always a tough competitor and had a rapacious cackle when he pulled off the winning move.

His family let me know a few weeks ago he was ill and I was hoping to get back to visit my friend after the semester was done here.

His contribution to gaming and fantasy would be hard to estimate by any measure.

-Neil

I think he successfully madefailed his saving throws against death +5.

EDIT: Unfortunately.

Oh dear. This is very sad news. And yes, his contribution to gaming and fantasy was abundant.

Strange that there is just no news on the intarwebs about this. I wouldn't think BGG would be the first on the scene.

I can't find anything... I've made a few calls, but no replies from those that know him yet.

This is very sad news. I can remember taking D&D books out of my local library as a child (what they were doing in a public library in rural England is beyond me! Although it is Tolkien country...) and reading them over and over again. I had no idea that what I thought began and ended with Heroquest and Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks could be so popular and so expansive.

In my opinion, D&D was a great achievement on a par with any ambitious work of fiction. And I was always fascinated by that weird name at the front... Gary Gygax... "Surely that name must be another of this guy's inventions"!

Gary, you opened my horizons to the wider world of Geekdom. I suppose I should thank you! Sorry to see you go.

Gary passed away at 1 am at his house, no funeral arrangements have been made yet.

I spoke with Ernie Gygax not five minutes ago.

There were many tears.

I doubt it is public knowledge yet but I saw the earlier posting and figured I might as well confirm.

Thanks for confirming. I had a brief note in email from a friend of mine, not sure where he heard it, and just didn't want to believe it.

My childhood would have been a lot different (not in a good way) without the likes of Gary Gygax. I am very saddened by this news. My prayers are with his family and friends.

Well then that is indeed sad news.

What a sad news!
I owe Gygax so many good moments. His death really hurts me, strange, even if I've never seen him, I don't even know what he looked like.
All my though to his friends and familly.

My condolensces to the Gygax family.