In Memoriam. (Patreon)

I first met Rachel Zimmerman, later Larratt, at the tiny Toronto apartment of Phil Barbosa  in December of 2000. A few dozen folks had come from all over the US and Canada (and, if I'm remembering correctly, all over the world) to celebrate the New Year in BME founder Shannon Larratt's back yard, and Phil's place was playing host to way more of us than the square footage of the apartment coulda/shoulda allowed for. 

Rachel was shy, she was brilliant, and if you got to know her - and twenty-two years later I'm damn sure glad that I did - she was hilarious. 

Over the years, she was, borrowing from my wife here, a "Den Mother" figure for me. A friend who got me into and out of trouble, both personally and professionally. 

Almost every project I've been involved with since meeting her - spcOnline, Mod Con, Scar Wars, Sacred Debris - has had Rachel's hands on it, quietly and without much fanfare (her choice). 

Before we came to Patreon, Rachel was one of our hosts here at Sacred Debris, keeping us online at her own cost because she believed in what we do. 

She was a dichotomy; and incredibly private person who lived an incredibly dynamic and public facing life- she was a Mother, she was a race car driver, a philanthropist, a friend. 

Rachel passed away this week.

The world of body modification - the lives of the people she touched - would not be what it is without her quiet, patient influence. 

Rachel Larratt
April 18, 1980 - June 23, 2022