Moving Force behind D&D, Gary Gygax, dead today at age 69

I saw news online today that Gary Gygax, one of the two fellas that created Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) died today.
Even though today's hyperactive, need-the-coolest-new-gadget-right-now kids don't get it and think that D&D was just a geek or nerd thing (well, OK, I was one so maybe it was)...This really was a foundation for tons of the games people play today either on PC or a gaming system.
The creativity that one could use and show through playing D&D was great. You got together with friends and played. You had to interact, work as a team, and try to have some fun at the same time. I often played a thief or a cleric, which allowed for different roleplaying. Many an hour was spent at a friend's house (thanks D.S., E.P. and J.N) and in our garage...creating, rolling, reading, talking and learning. It seems crazy to think that you could burn so much time with a few books, stacks of paper and some strange multi-sided dice.
I just came across my box of "D&D stuff" when sifting through stuff this past summer in preparation to move. I haven't played D&D in two decades, yet that box instantly filled me with memories of great times back in the day.
Thank you Gary.
P.S. I loved that D&D cartoon back in the mid '80s...too bad it wasn't on that long!