Robert Osborne was my friend.

And he was your friend too.

Robert Osborne (May 3, 1932-March 6, 2017)

While sobbing in an empty room at work, reading the messages of grief pouring in on twitter, the one thread I noticed connecting us all was that this loss feels like a cherished friend or family member died.

I lost my great uncle last month. He was 89 years old. He helped raise my mother and her siblings. He was a giant to me as a little kid, and even with his body ravaged by sickness, his stature gone, he was still a looming presence. I said goodbye to him, thankfully I got to say goodbye, with a kiss on his forehead as he shuddered in the hospital bed. I cried bitterly when he died. And I have cried just as hard for Robert Osborne.

I never met Bob. But for ten years he came into my living room, that gleam in his eyes, introduced himself, and then discussed the movie that I was settled in to watch. I always learned something new. When my knowledge of the film was sufficient enough, I would recite the trivia with Bob. I don’t have a particular memory of his introductions that stands out. All I remember is smiling instantly the moment he appeared and greeting him too. No matter that he couldn’t hear me.

Robert Osborne. TCM host. Film historian. Movie lover. Friend.

We need more Robert Osbornes in the world, especially as it spins towards more alarming times. We need more enthusiasm, more love, more kindness. We need more people to be excited about movies, to share that love.

Robert Osborne inspired everyone who met him and even those who didn’t. He was so special to all of us TCM fans. Our beloved TCM host.

But this is why we have the movies, isn’t it? To see those wonderful people out there in the dark. Today, Bob joins them. And we’ll be seeing him again, real soon.