Richard T. Bolgeo, BNF and SMOF, the founder and first chairman of LibertyCon, Chattanooga’s literary SF con, has died of natural causes at age 70.

He passed away May 12, 2019. Bolgeo, known in fannish circles as “Uncle Timmy,” had been scheduled to be Fan Guest of Honor at this year’s sold-out LibertyCon. He was chairman of LibertyCons #1-25 and chairman of ChattaCons #7 – 11. He was a Hugo nominee for his electronic fanzine “The Revenge of Humpday.”

Bolgeo was born and educated in Memphis, the home of MidSouthCon. He escaped Memphis and settled in middle Tennessee, where he worked for the TVA when not running SF cons. He was an electrical engineer. File 770 reported in May that Bolgeo entered hospice care. He had suffered from heart problems for years.

He is survived by his wife, two children, and three grandchildren. His daughter, Brandy, is the current chair of LibertyCon.

MidSouthCon reported on their Facebook page:

“It is with deep sadness that I must report that a true giant in southern fandom, a dear friend of MidSouthCon (and former Fan Guest of Honor) and a personal friend of many of us on the concom, Richard T “Uncle Timmy” Bolgeo has left us.

Born and raised here in Memphis, a graduate of CBHS and CBU (still CBC then), he eventually moved to middle Tennessee and began a 30 year career with TVA. During that time he founded LibertyCon which he ran for 25 years and is now run by his daughter Brandy.

He has also run a few Chattacons and has generally been instrumental in the development of fandom throughout the south. It was not unusual to randomly walk into any convention in the south and see him behind the registration desk, moving gear, or just generally doing what he can to help a con out, even if it wasn’t “his”. He will be greatly missed, and on behalf of all his “nieces” and “nephews” at MidSouthCon, our thoughts are with Linda, Brandy and all his family at this time.

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