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On Feb 10, 2003, Rhythm & Hues Studios received a company wide email from it’s president, Mr. Hughes. Time stopped, and a massive amount of forwarding reached every company in the industry with the news of what was said. The letter read as follows:

Dear Reader,

With deep, deep sorrow I need to share that Thomas Rosenfeldt never surfaced from a dive he went on last Thursday in Hawaii off the coast of Kona.

There was an extensive 4 day search conducted by the Coast Guard and Fire Departments. The search included over 40 dives and an aerial search by helicopter. The search was called off last night.

We have been in contact with his family and will assist in any way we can.
I am very sorry to have to share this very sad news with you.

John
_______________________

I got this email forwarded to me by 4 different friends in various companies, and as I sat at my desk in complete disbelief, my heart sank. The only thing that went through my head was: “This must be a mistake! I just saw Tomas at the R&H xmas party, this can’t be true!”. I then sat back in my chair and images of his face and smile just kept popping in and out of my mind.

I met Tomas back when I first got into the industry, in 1996 at VIFX. He was the type of person that you met very rarely in life, a breath of fresh air. He was always very willing to help anyone in need, answer any questions you may have, and always carried a big smile on his face. He had this way about him that made you feel relaxed, content, and encouraged playfulness. His positive attitude about life energized you with his many adventures and stories, and his soft voice made you want to hang on for every word he had to say. He was truly a great soul. Even though I was not as close to Tomas as many other people were, I had a hard time accepting that I will no longer bump into him in the hall, or see him in the kitchen munching on a snack, or even have him pop his head into a cube to say “hola” if he heard your voice. He has always been one of the positive memories I had from my first job, and will always continue to be in my heart and mind.

* R&H held a memorial for Tomas on Feb 18th, 2003 at 5pm.
The studio created a large tent outside in the back parking lot and filled it with over 100 chairs, a projection with various pictures of Tomas, along with a video from one of his diving adventures, a podium, candles, video cameras, plenty of flowers, a tree which will be planted in front of the studio in his memory, and a donated catering for after the memorial. The family sat in the front row, and the tent was filled with friends new and old who wanted to share their thoughts and condolences with the family. Friends from all over showed up, some flew down from SF for the night, others left work early to make sure they made it to the ceremony, and a few sent in their emails to be read aloud since they were not able to make it. Needless to say it was a huge turnout, over 200 people showed up, and the family got an idea of how loved Tomas was by all his peers, and how many hearts he had touched in his years here on earth. Family and friends took their turns going up to the podium and remembering Tomas, and among the many tears and sadness, there were the occasional smiles as some similar memories were shared.

After the memorial, everyone was invited to go down to the beach at the end of Culver for a candle vigil. The waves greeted us with a beautiful night, a large and perfectly placed full moon, and the smell of the ocean air. Everyone huddled to keep the candles flickering within a circle, and a small leaf boat, made by a friend, was released within the waves. The silence of the night, along with the peacefulness of the ocean, and the flickering of the candles, made a perfect memory for our goodbyes. And after the candles were placed inside a few circles dug in the sand, friends and family headed out to Baja Cantina (Tomas’ favorite lunch spot) to toast Tomas with margaritas.

Tomas’ family brought a journal for those who would like to write messages to the family in order to be sent back to his sister, whom was unable to attend because of her pregnancy. At the end there were 2 journals at the back table and plenty of memories immortalized for the family to treasure. I took the time to ask Juan (Tomas’ brother) for permission to write this article, and with a smile ( very much like Tomas’) he was delighted to allow me to share this experience via cyberspace. A few friends sent me their thoughts to add at the end of this article, and I also was able to get a collection of some of the pictures that were showcased at the memorial and placed them in the gallery at the end of this post (I have also included some images from Tomas’ dives that were sent to me by his brother Juan). Before I lead on to the emails sent, I would like to thank all those who sent me these emails to post, and also a big thank you to Jelena Erceg for burning me a cd full of images to place on the gallery. We all love you Tomas and you will continue to live on in our hearts. - Viviana

Letters from Friends

“I managed Tomas for several years at Rhythm & Hues Studios. He always impressed me because he had great balance. Tomas walked the line between vfx and life effortlessly. I’ve seen and known people with balance in this industry. But, Tomas was different. He mastered both.” - Jerome Solomon

“I did not know Tomas as well or as long as some of you, but for a year at Rhythm & Hues I was his favorite bartender, so maybe that counts for something. Tomas did say I made the best dirty martinis he ever tasted. Yes, perhaps as his bartender I would have his permission to pen a few words. Five years ago, when I first started at VIFX, I was seated next to Tomas. He helped guide a former Lightwave user into the mysterious world of Prisms software. No matter how uninformed my questions, Tomas always met them with patience and with a sense of humor that put me at ease. Over the years, I have probably asked him a hundred additional questions; each met by the same demeanor. The man was so intelligent and accomplished in his field. Do a web search sometime just using his name, “Tomas Rosenfeldt”, much more there than Warhol’s “fifteen minutes” of fame. I went through orientation at R&H with Tomas for the talking animal pipeline. I think he must have been the class clown when he was a kid. Each day was a new and amusing experience sitting next to him, his humor never at anyone’s expense but his own. From the monitor in my cube, I often saw Tomas play on the grass out back with Timber, a friend’s huge Siberian husky he brought to work from time to time. Watching him jump around with his “borrowed” dog made me think how childlike Tomas was, always playing, always exploring, and always excited about life. Nothing but time can ease the pain of his passing, but I do take some solace in the fact that he spent his last days doing what he loved best, playing at life. I am not sure how to grieve for Tomas. Any minute now I still expect him to pop into my cube to pet my dog –his “girlfriend” he called her. No, I am not sure how to grieve his loss, but, knowing Tomas, I think he would want us to celebrate life instead.” Cheers my friend, - Your bartender , Mike Roby

“Tomas is a great inspiration to me. He is well respected at work. He is a great son and brother to his family. He is a wonderful friend. He has lived life to the fullest. His presence will definitely be missed by everyone.Tomas loves the ocean and loves the sky. I smile when I think of our fun memories together. I shall treasure them close to my heart to the end of my days. Perhaps now he is free from the heavy weight of life so he can be with the sky and the ocean. The sky and the ocean can also now be part of him. This is only the beginning not the end…” - Ha Roda

” I met Tomas in 1993 while working at Metrolight. Even though our lives went separate ways, and I haven’t seen him in several years, Tomas has always kept a special place in my heart. I remember him as a very warm and friendly person. His nordic look and his very distinct central american warmth made him a truly unique and dear person to be around. I really enjoyed working and kidding around with him, a very true friend who even for a brief period, had been able to enrich my life. I am very saddened by his departure and hope that his journey was painless, may his soul be free to explore the depth of the oceans and to soar above the tallest of mountains.” - Chiara Perin

” Many people are funny, or friendly. But it is rare to come across someone with a truly decent and nice personality, that comes from deep inside. Tomas was one of the few people I have met, whose good-natured ness was genuine, true, and pure. From the first days I worked with him, he was sociable and patient. In the work environment, he made people feel completely at ease with coming to him and asking him questions. He was just as affable when it came to just taking time away from work, to talk about life, ideas, activities, and many other things. He always encouraged people to explore, and be adventurous. He was one of the people I always looked forward to seeing at parties and industry events. Because it was always fun to share stories with him, and just talk about life. He will be greatly missed by me, and by all those whose lives he touched in small ways, or large. He was a beacon of calmness, friendship, and acceptance in a world often full of stress and negativity. We need more people like Tomas, not less. It is with great sincerity that I say his loss is a loss to us all. We will all miss you very much…” -Brian Davis

” Tomas had been one of my oldest and closest friends. We met in Spain, were we both lived. A year after I moved to the US, he surprisingly appeared at the place where I was working for a job interview, and needless to say, he got the job. That was the beginning of a great friendship. We both felt very connected to our homeland and spent a great deal of time talking about it; our friends, family, ourselves. He was a very loving and caring friend, I loved him to death, and he always knew it. He loved nature, probably something he grew up with, and like myself, loved playing with it. We had fun sailing, hiking, skiing or whatever came along. But some of my best memories are from our trips to Baja. We used to go there once in a while; afternoons by the beach and evenings dancing and enjoying the local margaritas. I only have to close my eyes just to see him goofing around, always smiling, to hear his soft voice calling me “Rosita”. These fond memories are the only thing that helps me cope with the heavy feeling of his loss. I only hope it helps everyone as well.” -Rosa Farre

” I do not know Tomas as well as I would like. I have had the honor of knowing Tomas through my sister, Ha Roda. I liked Tomas as soon as I met him. Tomas was not only kind but also a very giving person. He was always happy and excited about life. He always makes everyone around him laugh. He had so much energy for life. I got to know Tomas through our many road trips together. I clearly remember our San Francisco trip for the Bay to Breakers race. Even though Tomas did not run the race he came along to take pictures of the race. At the end of the race day, he had made many new running friends. I will always remember Tomas as the fun-loving pilot, skier, scuba diver, mountain climber and funny Venezuelan.” - Mai Lytle

This the the Bio Tomas wrote for his Houdini Users Group:

Tomas Rosenfeldt- 3D FX Digital Artist

Having an education in Mathematics and Computer Science and having worked as a programmer at the Department of Transportation, Tomás Rosenfeldt started in the Computer Graphics Industry in 1987 opening and leading the Computer Graphics Department at a large post-production facility in Madrid, Spain. Tomás led all aspects of production during the six years at this facility. Since then he has worked at Metrolight Studios, Blue Sky/VIFX, Inc., and now at Rhythm & Hues. The body of his work in the natural phenomena realm is included in such feature films as Batman Forever, Volcano, Armageddon, Star Trek Insurrection, IMAX’s T-Rex, Fantasia 2000, Battlefield Earth, Bedazzled, Red Planet, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and Daredevil.

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