Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Fanfic Related Sad news -- the loss of a FoLC

I've just received the sad news that Rhen Brink, the woman who started the distribution of L&C fanfic in the early days of FoLCdom, has passed away.

Newer fans might not recognize the name, but Rhen started up the first email distribution list for fanfic, and helped run both the majordomo mailing list (where the stories were first stored) and the first incarnation of the L&C Fanfic Archive. Rhen retired from L&C fanfic in 1997 to spend more time with her family; this is when I took over the Archive from her. She hadn't been active in FoLCdom for some time, but I know that she had at least stayed interested on the perimeter -- I was able to meet her in person in 1999, when a group of Chicago-area fans got together to see Teri in Cabaret.

I believe Rhen was somewhere between 35 and 40 because her two children were just a few years older than my oldest; this makes the loss that much more tragic. Perhaps someone who knew her better than I did might be able to provide some more details.

My heart goes out to her family in their time of loss.

Kathy

Rhen was before my time, but without her I've have had a lot less enjoyment of this fandom and not so much fun over the years.

She truly was one of the pioneers and her legacy of the Archive will undoubtedly provide enjoyment for fans of Lois and Clark for years to come.

Such sad news.

LabRat

Kathy, thanks for passing the news on.

I never knew Rhen, even in cyberspace, but I was well aware of everything she did for the fandom. I believe that she was still running the Archive when I first joined the fandom and read voraciously through all of the 400-odd stories uploaded at that point. It was only gradually that I became aware of everything she did to ensure that FoLCs got their fix of fanfic.

I remember, not long after Kathy took over the Archive, Rhen being awarded a special Kerth for services to FoLCdom, which I know was richly deserved. Her own fanfic is also very highly recommended.

While I'm saddened by the news, I hope that Rhen will be remembered fondly and with gratitude for all she did for Lois and Clark fans.

Goodbye, Rhen.




Wendy

I never got the chance to meet Rhen, not even online, but I've heard a great deal about what she did for the fandom, and that she was behind the first archive project. Without her dedication to the fandom, fanfic might be scattered all over the place like it is for many other shows, and we might not get that sense of friendly community that we find here. For this I'm very grateful to her, and like the rest of you I hope she'll never be forgotten.

Kaethel

Greetings, all,

I am still in semi-shock over hearing of this loss. I knew Rhen fairly well "back in the day", from the #loiscla IRC channel and the list -- She was unfailingly warm, wonderful, helpful, creative, funny, and patient. I never knew her to lose her temper, even under some of the extreme provocation that some drop-in "trolls" caused on-channel in #loiscla. Without her support, the fandom would never have been what it was, with her patient, effective efforts to run the original fiction archives, and her helpfulness with newbies to the fandom.

This is an extremely great loss, imo, and I give the sincerest condolences to her family, and assurances that she not only gave out a lot of warmth, that she received a lot of people who think of her just as warmly.

I'll miss you, Hon.

Peace, love, and growth find us, and Rhen's family, always,

"Diane_E"