Terry, aka Cap'n Van. Always a snappy dresser.
Keep To The Code is deeply saddened to announce the passing of one of its four owners, Terry Pendt, better known to forum members as CaptainVanderDecken. Terry passed away on February 17 after a long battle with kidney disease and diabetes. Terry was a lifelong fan of all things Disney, and was always particularly proud of Keep To The Code and its accomplishments. He worked tirelessly to maintain high standards "on deck," as well as behind the scenes.
His fiery personality and direct, no-nonsense style gained him hundreds of friends and admirers, as he found at the Dead Man's Chest premiere at Disneyland. A five-minute walk down the red carpet turned into a one and a half hour trip, due to the number of people who wanted to pose for photos, ask for autographs, or simply to finally meet him in person.
L to R: Cap'n Van, forum moderator Bosun Carmina and Keep To The Code co-owner Doctor Bacchus at the Dead Man's Chest premiere.
Terry was an amazingly talented artist, and he spent many years using his art to raise funds and awareness for AIDS organizations. He also had extensive experience in directing and set design for live theater; before his passing, he asked that memorial contributions be made in his name to Broadway Cares. Memorial/remembrance events are currently being planned in several US cities for later this year.
Diva, 48" X 60", oil and acrylic on canvas.
Judy, 24" X 30", oil on canvas.
Terry could be challenging to live and work with, and he realized and acknowledged it with his usual humor and style. In an e-mail sent shortly before his passing, he said, in part, "If anyone would ask about sending flowers, I'd suggest since there's no service planned to allow for flowers, ask them to plant something somewhere that reminds them of me, like thistle, or something that's extremely poisonous when you don't respect it."
Another mail read, in part, "This is probably farewell, but not really goodbye because I'll never really be gone. If I've touched lives, I'll always be here. And if I'm forgotten, I was meant to be and that's nothing I can change now either. I'll always have the satisfaction of knowing I always did what I thought was right, and I never settled for less, from me or anyone else. And those are tall orders, and a lot to expect. But it guarantees that in the end, the people around are really friends, and not acquaintances - they can't stand the kind of heat that generates. I wouldn't change that either."
We are reminded of Terry's strength and determination throughout both his life and his illness, best represented by dialogue from the first Pirates of the Caribbean film:
Jack : Keep to the code.
Through it all, and above all else, he did just that.
One of the pieces of music he chose for his memorial service seems particularly appropriate. Terry was a great fan of Bette Midler, who released her version of Tom Waits' "Shiver Me Timbers" several years ago:
My body's at home, but my heart's in the wind
And the clouds are like headlines upon a new front page sky
My tears are salt water, the moon's full and high
And I know Joe Comrade would be proud of me
Many before me've been called by the sea:
To be up in the crow's nest, singing my sayin':
"Shiver me timbers, let's all sail away"
And the fog's lifting, the sand's shifting, I'm drifting on out
Old captain Ahab's got nothing on me
Swallow me, don't follow me, I'm traveling alone
The water's my daughter, I'll skip like a stone
Won't you please call my family, tell 'em not to cry
My goodbyes are written by the moon in the sky
Say, nobody knows me, I got no reason to stay.
Shiver me timbers,
I'm sailing away.
Fair winds and godspeed to you, "Cap'n Van." The owners, staff and members of Keep To The Code take comfort in knowing we'll see you again some day, just over that far horizon.
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