In memory of progosk August 27, 2024 12:44 PM Subscribe
Hi everyone, unfortunately I have some very sad news to share: our fellow mefite Philip Rogosky aka progosk has passed away.
I actually learnt about his passing at the end of March when reading about it in the news in Italy, where Philip also lived, in Rome. We never met in person but had exchanged a few messages via this website and I remembered his name well so I was shocked to find out about his death in the newspaper. I only learnt then that he had gone missing weeks earlier in January and that his wife and friends had been speaking publicly to Italian media in an effort to find him and bring him home. Unfortunately his body was then found in a city park in circumstances that sounded tragic and unclear enough for Italian authorities to open an investigation. One reason I hesitated to post about it until now, besides from the initial shock, is also because I thought there might be updates about these investigations, but there have been no more reports since then. You can read more details about the story of this disappearance in this article in English.
Philip was a polyglot, German-born and British-educated, he also lived in Paris and New York before moving to Rome. He worked in advertising as a producer and had been working also in cinema production recently (he is listed on IMDB as one of the producers for the 2024 film Immaculate). He is survived by a wife and two sons and is fondly remembered by many colleagues, collaborators, friends and acquaintances.
As some if you might remember, he had also developed a passion for mycology in recent times and I found a touching tribute to him on an Italian website for other mycology aficionados. Also, he supported the local chapter of Fridays for Future and I saw fond tributes to him as "zio Philip" (uncle Philip) on social media and newsletters in Italian. He seemed well loved by anyone who met him. Like I said, I never had the chance to meet him in person but just from messages we exchanged as well as his contributions here on Metafilter, I was always impressed by his intelligence, curiosity, wit, politeness and variety of interests. A truly remarkable person.
If you remember progosk and his comments and posts here and miss him, please share a memory or thought with the rest of us.
May he rest in peace and may his family find some comfort after such a tragic loss.
I actually learnt about his passing at the end of March when reading about it in the news in Italy, where Philip also lived, in Rome. We never met in person but had exchanged a few messages via this website and I remembered his name well so I was shocked to find out about his death in the newspaper. I only learnt then that he had gone missing weeks earlier in January and that his wife and friends had been speaking publicly to Italian media in an effort to find him and bring him home. Unfortunately his body was then found in a city park in circumstances that sounded tragic and unclear enough for Italian authorities to open an investigation. One reason I hesitated to post about it until now, besides from the initial shock, is also because I thought there might be updates about these investigations, but there have been no more reports since then. You can read more details about the story of this disappearance in this article in English.
Philip was a polyglot, German-born and British-educated, he also lived in Paris and New York before moving to Rome. He worked in advertising as a producer and had been working also in cinema production recently (he is listed on IMDB as one of the producers for the 2024 film Immaculate). He is survived by a wife and two sons and is fondly remembered by many colleagues, collaborators, friends and acquaintances.
As some if you might remember, he had also developed a passion for mycology in recent times and I found a touching tribute to him on an Italian website for other mycology aficionados. Also, he supported the local chapter of Fridays for Future and I saw fond tributes to him as "zio Philip" (uncle Philip) on social media and newsletters in Italian. He seemed well loved by anyone who met him. Like I said, I never had the chance to meet him in person but just from messages we exchanged as well as his contributions here on Metafilter, I was always impressed by his intelligence, curiosity, wit, politeness and variety of interests. A truly remarkable person.
If you remember progosk and his comments and posts here and miss him, please share a memory or thought with the rest of us.
May he rest in peace and may his family find some comfort after such a tragic loss.
I am really sorry to hear this news. I did not know him personally, but his name is certainly one I recognize. I know I appreciated his thoughtful and knowledgeable contributions. My condolences to his friends and family.
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posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 12:59 PM on August 27
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posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 12:59 PM on August 27
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posted by GenjiandProust at 1:18 PM on August 27
posted by GenjiandProust at 1:18 PM on August 27
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posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 1:18 PM on August 27
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 1:18 PM on August 27
Also: whatever happened, it’s unreasonably tragic.
posted by GenjiandProust at 1:20 PM on August 27
posted by GenjiandProust at 1:20 PM on August 27
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posted by gentlyepigrams at 1:23 PM on August 27
posted by gentlyepigrams at 1:23 PM on August 27
This is a lovely eulogy. I remember seeing him around the site and always thought he was such an interesting dude. What a horrible thing to happen.
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posted by fight or flight at 1:25 PM on August 27 [3 favorites]
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posted by fight or flight at 1:25 PM on August 27 [3 favorites]
I’m so sorry to hear this. I learned about Rebecca Nagle’s podcast from one of his posts.
posted by warriorqueen at 1:36 PM on August 27
posted by warriorqueen at 1:36 PM on August 27
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posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 1:54 PM on August 27
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 1:54 PM on August 27
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posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 2:55 PM on August 27
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 2:55 PM on August 27
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posted by Rustic Etruscan at 3:04 PM on August 27
posted by Rustic Etruscan at 3:04 PM on August 27
Seemed to have been an interesting guy, with a wide range of knowledge. Condolences to his loved ones.
posted by praemunire at 4:56 PM on August 27
posted by praemunire at 4:56 PM on August 27
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I'm sorry to hear this, I've appreciated his comments. Thank you, bitteschoen, for letting us know.
posted by mollweide at 5:09 PM on August 27 [1 favorite]
I'm sorry to hear this, I've appreciated his comments. Thank you, bitteschoen, for letting us know.
posted by mollweide at 5:09 PM on August 27 [1 favorite]
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posted by Sparky Buttons at 6:29 PM on August 27
posted by Sparky Buttons at 6:29 PM on August 27
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posted by Alvy Ampersand at 7:52 PM on August 27
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 7:52 PM on August 27
This is terrible, sad news. I remember well progosk's contributions to this community.
Last year, in a thread on the Blue about MetaFilter itself, he wrote this comment, which I saw just now:
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posted by biogeo at 8:19 PM on August 27 [16 favorites]
Last year, in a thread on the Blue about MetaFilter itself, he wrote this comment, which I saw just now:
I think I suffer from a similar type of aphasia that has kept me from successfully connecting screennames to full-fledged personas, but there has been a (periodically reconfiguring) number of contributors here that have consistently made the blue (and its gamut of spaces) a unique ecological niche on the internet for years now, making it a homestead to so many of us. There’s no denying the Gesamtkunstwerk of it, warts and all. It’s rare to see real-word attempts at actually making things better, something that, even in failure, surely sets an example to draw hope (or other inspiration) from. A kind of epic. And a privilege - thanks to all for keeping on keeping on.I think he put it very well. I fortunately don't suffer from his aphasia, as he put it, and so I remember him as he presented himself to us here, one of our fellow homesteaders in this unique ecological niche on the Internet. He'll be missed here. My deepest condolences to his family and friends.
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posted by biogeo at 8:19 PM on August 27 [16 favorites]
This is so sad and upsetting. I lived in Rome for a couple of years myself and much appreciated his insightful commentary on Italian matters. RIP.
posted by misteraitch at 12:34 AM on August 28
posted by misteraitch at 12:34 AM on August 28
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posted by hydropsyche at 3:37 AM on August 28
posted by hydropsyche at 3:37 AM on August 28
So sorry to hear this. I see that it was a post by progosk that alerted me to the questions about who created Marcel Duchamp's most famous work, which I was grateful to learn about. Thanks for your own contributions to the Gesamtkunstwerk over the years, progosk, and RIP.
posted by rory at 3:59 AM on August 28 [3 favorites]
posted by rory at 3:59 AM on August 28 [3 favorites]
Nice person. Terrible news. Best to his family and loved ones.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:54 AM on August 28
posted by DirtyOldTown at 7:54 AM on August 28
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posted by JohnnyGunn at 8:19 AM on August 28
posted by JohnnyGunn at 8:19 AM on August 28
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posted by The Great Big Mulp at 10:09 AM on August 28
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 10:09 AM on August 28
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posted by mxjudyliza at 10:48 AM on August 28
posted by mxjudyliza at 10:48 AM on August 28
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posted by Alterscape at 11:25 AM on August 28
posted by Alterscape at 11:25 AM on August 28
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posted by PussKillian at 1:22 PM on August 28
posted by PussKillian at 1:22 PM on August 28
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posted by ourobouros at 2:41 PM on August 28
posted by ourobouros at 2:41 PM on August 28
I recognize that name; sad to see him gone. RIP. 🍄
posted by wenestvedt at 5:52 PM on August 28
posted by wenestvedt at 5:52 PM on August 28
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posted by mygothlaundry at 9:03 PM on August 28
posted by mygothlaundry at 9:03 PM on August 28
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posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 10:05 PM on August 28
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 10:05 PM on August 28
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posted by cendawanita at 10:20 PM on August 28
posted by cendawanita at 10:20 PM on August 28
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posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 11:43 PM on August 28
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 11:43 PM on August 28
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posted by From Bklyn at 2:49 AM on August 29
posted by From Bklyn at 2:49 AM on August 29
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I really felt like I knew him, even as just words on a screen.
posted by Kattullus at 10:29 AM on August 29 [1 favorite]
I really felt like I knew him, even as just words on a screen.
posted by Kattullus at 10:29 AM on August 29 [1 favorite]
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posted by TheophileEscargot at 11:03 PM on August 29
posted by TheophileEscargot at 11:03 PM on August 29
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posted by kittens for breakfast at 1:20 AM on August 30
posted by kittens for breakfast at 1:20 AM on August 30
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posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 11:29 PM on August 30
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 11:29 PM on August 30
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posted by thatwhichfalls at 4:56 AM on August 31
posted by thatwhichfalls at 4:56 AM on August 31
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posted by cybercoitus interruptus at 3:37 PM on September 3
posted by cybercoitus interruptus at 3:37 PM on September 3
We went to Hunter High in NYC together while he lived there (he moved at some point before graduation.)
We were so young, and he was just lovely.
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posted by ltracey at 9:04 AM on September 5 [1 favorite]
We were so young, and he was just lovely.
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posted by ltracey at 9:04 AM on September 5 [1 favorite]
Also: whatever happened, it’s unreasonably tragic.
That's the hardest part to read.
I knew the name and really appreciate reading the appreciations. He was truly remarkable and accomplished person. As are so many of the names leaving dots here. It is very humbling to be around most of you.
Well, as Epicharmus of Syracuse once said Mortals should think mortal thoughts, not immortal thoughts. And there has been a lot of mortality going around here of late. We're already at the Bill and Ted playing Twister with Death stage.
posted by y2karl at 6:21 PM on September 5 [2 favorites]
That's the hardest part to read.
I knew the name and really appreciate reading the appreciations. He was truly remarkable and accomplished person. As are so many of the names leaving dots here. It is very humbling to be around most of you.
Well, as Epicharmus of Syracuse once said Mortals should think mortal thoughts, not immortal thoughts. And there has been a lot of mortality going around here of late. We're already at the Bill and Ted playing Twister with Death stage.
posted by y2karl at 6:21 PM on September 5 [2 favorites]
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posted by mochapickle at 12:11 PM on September 13
posted by mochapickle at 12:11 PM on September 13
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posted by maryellenreads at 12:50 PM on August 27