RIP Tim Conover

I have to admit, I did not know Tim Conover. He lived in my area, in Northern VA when I was younger. I saw him on a local TV station once and was stunned by the magic he did. It wasn't long after this that I got to see Tim perform his coin magic live at a magic gathering in D.C.. He could do things I never knew were possible at the time. I was unfamiliar with the Ramsey material back then and was told it was extremely difficult, so this gave me an even higher appreciation of his skill.

I had heard that Tim became a full time performer and the next time I saw him was at The World Magic Summit in Washington. This time he was not doing any close-up magic but instead he was doing his mentalism act. I was blown away. It was unusual and different and quite astonishing.

I'd hear Tim's name come up from time to time as I knew many of the same people he did. But the only time I would cross paths with Tim would be conventions and I never saw him by himself so that I could say hello and introduce myself. Why I never tried to reach him via email is beyond me, I guess you just take for granted that people will be around forever.

A few days ago the news came out that Tim had passed away. It hit me rather hard. I guess I always expected to meet him and get to know him eventually. I never even knew he was ill.  I've read all the comments that people have made about Tim on Facebook and a recent piece on The Magic Newswire. It's clear that he was a very special person and it's my loss for not having met him and it's the magic world's loss for loosing such a great artist. It's also clear, that his passing has left a hole in the hearts of those that knew him, and frankly even for me. It's funny that we as magicians focus on the magic part of things but a person's life is always so much more. Reading the comments by his friends show that Tim was a caring, thoughtful, and passionate human being.

My prayers go out to his family and friends who are grieving. I hope that as a community we can do something to honor his memory, whether it be an annual award in his name or something.

Rest in Peace Timothy Conover