Tribute to a Friend

On this date last year, July 24, 2010, my SL friend England Macalroy unexpectedly passed away in real life at the young age of 42. Since then he has become a near legend in the New England sims where I live. England first came to SLNE in January 2010. He purchased a small parcel on Martha’s Vineyard, quickly added an adjoining second parcel. Deciding he still needed more space, he purchased the sim, Winter Island. He was bright, humble, creative and a rising star in our estate.

England Macalroy

Those of us who knew him all have our own stories of time spent with England. To me he was a special friend who was quickly learning and turning into an excellent builder. He loved fast machinery…he had airplanes, and motorcycles and boats. He made a small, humble-looking outboard motorboat. He named it “Old Bastard”. When he was just completing it, he took me for a test ride in it. He even rezzed a ramp in the water and had the boat jump from it. It was a fast boat and he was pleased with it. He gave me a copy of the boat which is now one of my treasured possessions.


There was another side to England too. I had several long talks with him about more personal things. Like most of us, he had a sensitive and deeper side to his personality. We enjoyed some long talks together. I always enjoyed my time with him.

When England went missing from SL for days on end, friends started to worry. Putting bits and pieces together of what we knew about his real life, someone finally was able to confirm his real life identity and discovered that he had died. It was a devastating blow to those of us who knew him in Second Life.


For awhile, we turned Winter Island into a memorial. People would come and sit and remember him. By some chance of fate, he had left a copiable version of “Old Bastard” floating in the cove at Winter Island. We sent out notices and invited people from all over Second Life to come take a copy, thinking he would be pleased to know his little boat was being enjoyed by so many. In his memory, we even had an “Old Bastard” regatta around the estate, followed by a very fun (and fast) boat race.

You can get still get your own copy of “Old Bastard” at the Marblehead sim in New England. A commissioned replica of the boat was made by Anu Daviau and is available at no cost at this location: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Marblehead/75/145/22

England, I remember you on this day and in tribute, I think I’ll get out “Old Bastard” and motor around Winter Island…remembering.