As feeble an attempt as this may be, I feel compelled to share my thoughts, my story and to open my heart to all of you regarding my friend and good buddy Bob Ulmer. I had the great pleasure of meeting Bob some 15 or 20 years ago when he moved from Toronto to Ottawa to work at Mitel head quarters. He certainly was a sight to behold, a long-haired hippie hangover, with dark shades, and most memorable of all, a loud “Hey!” every time he walked in the room… But boy oh boy, did this dude know technology. As the days and weeks went by, I quickly began to realize that this “hippie from the Big Smoke” was one interesting guy. He welcomed me into his home with open arms and openly shared his wisdom, passion and experiences of all things tech. Resistor, semiconductors, homemade weather stations, surround sound this, Camcorder that, “Hey Tiny, he'd yell, check this out!” Man oh man! I was like a kid in a candy store with my own personal tour guide. There were wires and cables and wireless thingies everywhere. He seemed to know something about everything. And his plants?! You almost needed a machete just to get through his dining-room. Who would have thought Bob was into “Botany” too?! After a few years of “Craziness on Carling” came the big move to “The Bay”. Now, he couldn’t just buy any old place, no, not Bob. It was this huge place, full of nooks and crannies with all sorts of places to spread out (or as he put it “deploy”) his technology. He was super excited. But I really don’t think he fully realized how much work his “Full Deployment” would be. I have vivid memories of the phone calls, “Hey Tiny, Get out here, I need ya!” And when I did arrive, there he was: tool belt, multi-meter and cable in hand. There wasn’t a job too big for him, hot-water tanks, solar panels on the roof, backup gas generators, you name it and we tried it… Bob was my go-to guy, but not just for technology! He was an amazing pillar of strength for me when I lost another dear friend, and was also an incredible shoulder to lean on as my wife and I adopted our children. He was always willing to listen, always cared about me and my family and will always be sorely missed. Bob Ulmer was an amazing man who cared greatly for the people in his life. The depth of his passion, his charisma, and his knowledge on the many subjects he dabbled in will be greatly missed and never equaled. He was honest and sincere - a teacher to many, a hero to some, and a friend to all. He has profoundly touched the hearts of more people than I dare to imagine. Thanks, Chris