Suffragio would not be Suffragio without the kind encouragement of Andrew Patner, who was taken from us far too soon on Tuesday morning at age 55.

To me, he was an encouraging voice, a mentor, a friend, a champion.

To the rest of the world, he was very much more: a baron of the Chicago media, a patron and defender of the arts and of all variety of music, a lion of the LGBT community. So many communities will miss him.

UPDATE, February 6. For those of you who are interested, here are some great links that celebrate and remember Andrew, his life and the curiosity, passion, love and pluckiness that animated it. I spoke to him just last Thursday, when he took the time to hear my itinerary for Scandinavia and offer tips (and a little gossip) just hours before my flight left from Dulles. We’d talked about meeting up somewhere in Chicago, Washington or in between. This remains such a shock for those of us (and it’s a very large group) whose lives he touched.

Benjamin Ivry’s piece in the Jewish Daily Forward.

Lawrence A. Johnson in the Chicago Classical Review.

Here’s Chicagoan Robert Feder’s take.

The definitive take from Andrew’s own newspaper, the Chicago Sun Times.