Kathy is a very good friend who lives outside Washington DC. Kathy and Dan met playing an online Star Wars game about 7 years ago. They got to talking during their game meetings and forged an on line friendship. Rather than tell you the rest of the story myself, I have asked Kathy's permission to use an extract from her Blog to tell the rest of the story herself. Kathy posted the whole story on her blog the night before Dan's funeral...... In the fall of 2004, Downey, whose real name is Dan, planned a trip to the states with his mom, Sandra, and wife Sue. They had planned to go to NYC and Memphis (his mom is a huge Elvis fan), but he wondered if they took a side trip to Washington DC if I would be willing to meet them. We had often joked about meeting in person, and since we had just been to England the year before, this looked like the most promising chance for us to meet, so we began to make plans to meet for dinner near where they would be staying. Although this went against everything I had ever learned about meeting strangers, somehow it just seemed like the right thing to do! We had exchanged pictures, and I had even seen both Sue and him waving happily to me from a webcam once or twice during the year, so surely these are the people they say they are right?! About a week before we were to meet, I got a lovely email from Dan asking me if I truly wasn’t an axe murderer and I had to chuckle to myself that clearly we were both a bit apprehensive about doing something which seemed so completely crazy…we didn’t even know one another’s last names or home addresses at this point! But off we went, Mr. Tide, my son Bugs, and me (our daughter wasn’t feeling well and stayed home) to meet this stranger who we met as a character in a game where we slashed one another with lightsabers! The moment he walked in I knew it was him, and we had each brought gifts to exchange with one another. I gave him a mug and he gave me tea which he knew I would love! Within minutes the miles and barriers that had once separated us melted away and it was as though we had known one another forever. We had spoken to one another nearly every day for the past year, so in many ways he knew more about me and my family than people I had known in real life for years, and vice versa! We found it awkward calling one another by our “real” names and joked about this unlikely friendship we had struck up! And when it came time to part ways we took pictures, hugged, and found it difficult to say goodbye. Like when any two friends have to say goodbye it was hard, and it was made harder by the fact that we didn’t really know if we would see one another again! The reality of our physical distance was one thing, but his illness was always there in the back of our minds. Thankfully over the years we were able to see one another in person again, and our daughter saw Dan and his family more than any of us when she lived in France. With each passing year we all grew closer, these two families brought together by a silly game. A few years ago I met my daughter in Yorkshire in the north of England for a girls getaway. As soon as I told Dan we would be there he and his family made plans to drive the long way to come see us. We spent a few glorious days with Dan, Sue, Sandra, and his stepfather Del touring the sites of York. The first night we decided to meet at the Minster in York, a beautiful old cathedral with so much history and meaning. As we stood on the steps eagerly anticipating their arrival we met a woman who was also waiting to meet someone she had befriended through the internet. She seemed so relieved that there were other crazy people in the world willing to do this! She told us she had travelled from Canada to meet someone from a book club. Tomorrow, Downey will be laid to rest after a long and brave fight with cancer, his tumor eventually became malignant and he fought with all his might, but the cancer was stronger. I will smile whenever I think of him and his infectious laugh, his keen wit, and his wonderful sense of humor. He loved so many things like the Lord of The Rings, Armani, movies, Robert Downey Jr., Haagen-Dazs, all sorts of music, Superman, but most of all he loved his family and friends. And in turn, he was loved by so many, I am just one person who was lucky enough to call him friend! I know he is free from pain, and he has already sent a few signs to me in the form of shooting stars, a song, or favorite movies, that he is ok and is watching over all of us! I will forever treasure the last night we were together, when we walked down the street in York to get something I forgot from the bed and breakfast where my daughter and I were staying, just the two of us, walking arm in arm talking about life, dreams, and everything we hold so dear to us. I wish I had one more chance to show him that I was better than him at swinging a lightsaber, to share a cup of redbush tea, and to just chat about anything and nothing at all like we always did. He brought more love, kindness, and generosity into the world in almost 33 years than many people who live much longer ever could hope to. We were an unlikely pair, he and I, but I will thank God each and everyday for bringing our families together! Tomorrow will be a day filled with all sorts of emotions for his beloved family and friends, and to them I send all my love and strength as they honor this wonderful man, son, husband, grandson, brother, and friend. Rest in Peace my dear friend, you will be greatly missed!!!