Rangers Rounding 3rd lost another member last month. John Nathan Whitten, who posted here under a few names and was always a positive force in RR3 Nation, passed away in January.

According to his obituary, “Nate’s journey was one marked by a profound commitment to the field of mathematics and a passion for teaching. Nate served as Adjunct Math Faculty at LeTourneau University from August 2018 until the present, where he imparted his knowledge by regularly teaching Technical Calculus I and II, as well as Pre-Calculus. He was well known for his charming grin, dark wit, and love of Texas Rangers. He was so happy to see them finally win the World Series this year which brought him great joy during his brief and intense battle with cancer.”

I’ve always been amazed and humbled at the friendships that this site has created among otherwise strangers who have been connected by a love of the Texas Rangers. I’ve truly been blessed with knowing each of you in one small way. Sometimes, in even bigger ways.

I met Nathan, of course, through Rangers Rounding 3rd. But he and I met at a Rangers game a few years ago. And over the past few years, Nathan and I exchanged a lot of emails, mostly about music. He was a huge fan of The Band and John Hiatt, and sent me CDs as a way to spread his passion for those bands. I countered with my love of the band America and the Old 97s.

It was always a joy to get an email from him because he was always positive, always had a smart sense of humor, and was always appreciative of our friendship and of Rangers Rounding 3rd.

So long my friend. Take the load off, Fanny. Take a load for free. Take a load off, Fanny. And you put the load right on me. You put the load right on me.