In Memory of Fennijer

Fennijer CTEd on 28 June 2016 after having been a member of Gay for more than 8 years.

Steve lived in London, England.

In real life, Steve had it pretty rough. He was plagued by illnesses mental and physical for most of his life. He was a smoker and once commented, "I would be happy if I got sick from smoking, for then it would be something under my control." Towards the end, he had a cancerous lump on his liver. He was originally told it would not be terminal unless it opened. Later, the doctors told him it was indeed terminal and that he would have less than 2 months to live. I do not know if Steve himself is still alive, although I rather doubt it.

Apparently, in utero, Steve absorbed at least part of a sister embryo, thus he had at least one ovary. As such, he was our first out intersex member.

The name "Fennijer" came to be because that was how Steve pronounced the name of his sister, Jennifer, as he was learning to talk.

Fennijer served several terms on our Regional Council with distinction. He was one of our very most active players and also one of our most brutally honest players with a caustic wit. I don't recall that he was ever wrong.

Back when Gay was heavily into roleplaying, Fennijer was one of the most active players. His signature character was Empress Jennifer Serpentine, who was the ruthless ruler of the nation of Fennijer. Serpentine ruled Fennijer with an iron fist and her enemies and critics tended to disappear overnight or die from strange maladies. She would not make public appearances for long periods of time, apparently having had cosmetic procedures. She had an extremely active interest in the flora of the Bear Paw Islands and especially the toxic plants native to Fennijer. Fennijer was a technological backwater, since most of the country's energies were devoted to preserving and exploiting plant life. With a tepid interest in Civil Rights and Political Freedoms and an aversion to Economy and Economic Freedoms, Fennijer was usually a Democratic Socialist nation.

Towards the end, Jennifer Serpentine took an interest in becoming a recording star. While she dropped several albums, she never received the international attention she thought she deserved.

Steve suffered from agoraphobia, a fear of crowds/open places. He seldom left his flat except for medically necessary trips or groceries. While he desperately wanted to meet fellow NationStates members in London, friends who would visit London, or accept invitations to travel to meet his friends, his illness mostly kept him isolated.

While Steve was a Pagan, he was more open to discussions with Christians than most of the members of Gay. He was an informal ambassador to several regions.

Steve had a colourful cast of puppets, most notably Lorettastan and Hairy Mary the Scary Fairy. He also roleplayed a civil war in Fennijer, leading to the creation of the highly capitalistic nation, New Fennijer.

Fennijer was voted honourary Founder and WA Delegate of Gay as well as receiving a commendation for Outstanding Citizen of Gay. Please upcheck this article as a tribute to Fennijer.