The Text from my Toast at Beer Bash's Wake

I would like to raise a glass

We are not here tonight to mourn Beer Bash's passing, but to celebrate his life.

Tonight we remember Beer Bash as a friend.
Tonight we remember Beer Bash as a teacher.
Tonight we remember Beer Bash as a fighter.

To some Beer Bash was merely a fire spewing, fighting beer keg. Nothing more than a mad creation trading incredible hits in the robotic combat arena. But to me Beer Bash was so much more.
For Beer Bash brought me my dear friends Avish, Bruce, Phil, and Susan, and I thank him for this gift.

As we built Beer Bash, Beer Bash in turn taught us. Which I suppose, being a school project, was the point. Beer bash taught us engineering skills, and machining skills. Beer Bash also encouraged us to learn from each-other. This was part of the curriculum at SF State. Beer bash was expected to teach us these things, and we got a grade for it. But Beer Bash taught us more than this, beer bash taught us about taking different paths to victory. Beer bash taught us that you can walk into a competition fully expecting to lose, then lose indeed, lose big, but still be able to call it a victory.

Beer Bash was always very proud of his fighting record. He did not win many fights, but he did win some and this, for his humble beginnings, is something. I think that being made in a public school shop by students taught Beer Bash an important lesson that he carried into the ring for every fight. Nothing is given, if you want to succeed you have to fight for it.
And fight he did. He got in the ring every single time his card was up, no matter what he faced, he fought out of weight class, he fought opponents that out classed him, he fought. It was not until the very last battle that he could not muster the strength to climb into the ring one last time.

After dozens of fights on two continents Beer Bash missed his last fight.

So tonight I raise my glass to Beer Bash's toast:
Drink!! Then fight.