A tribute to Rebecca "Princess Spankie" Ely
Posted by: Various Writers on 12/16/2004

We here at HTM.com would like to express our most sincere and heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of one of our members.

Rebecca Ely, better known on our message boards as the sweet and sometimes shocking Princess Spankie, passed away Monday at the tender age of 32 due to a brain aneurysm.

Princess Spankie was a faithful contributor to the many incarnations of HTM.com throughout the years, and every time she visited, she left a part of herself behind. Unlike many, her warmth and caring spirit was easily conveyed to others
in the usually cold and heartless medium that is the internet. To those of us that counted her as a friend both online or in the "real" world, her untimely passing leaves a gap that will never be filled. Here are a few words from some of the people that knew her:

Honky Tonk Man: I am saddened by the passing of one of our beloved members, Princess Spankie. This holiday season will not find happiness in the Ely's home. I have dealt with the lose of some loved ones on several different occasions and it is never easy. Remember the words from the Lion King, "It is the circle of life." R.I.P.

BubbaBong: I gotta say , God bless all of ya'. If she only knew how much love there was for her here ,....how much there was for her in
general,...You guys are the best. Unbelievable. I want you all to know how much I thank you and appreciate this. She's here in spirit and smiling ear to ear. Tears in my eyes I thank you all again.

Mojo: I sit here in tears. Rebecca would have flipped to know how much she was loved here. Believe it or not this was a very important place to her.

Fond memories......So many. But so hard to sit here and type at all. Most of you knew Spankie or Ms. Bong. Let me tell you a little about Rebecca.

She and I have talked almost daily for 4 or 5 years now, and over those years we shared a lot with each other. A lot of you know that she was a transplanted Jersey girl. She would have me send her "back east" pictures. Something like the changing of the leaves would mean the world to her. She would get so excited if I sent her a picture of the green grass. Downright tickled by it. She could be so sad. Then see a picture of a little snow and just light up like a star. There are so many things that to me seemed simple. But to her it was like the sky would crack open and the the sun would shine just for her.

She worried about EVERYONE. Far more so than she ever worried about herself. She would talk to me about how she had said something to "Krazy Loop" and she was worried that he might take it wrong. Or when Kurts last child was born, she made me promise to get a full report and find out if he needed anything. She worried about her sister back in Jersey, and her niece that she loved more than most mothers love thier own children. And me. She worried about me more than my mother did at times. She loved kids. More than anyone I've ever met.

Presents. She LOVED to get presents. Big.Small. Made no difference. She just loved to open presents. One of my biggest regrets and one of my biggest comforts is a box that I had been promising to send her since last Christmas. She would get so mad that a birthday would pass and I had still not sent the box out. I picked through that box tonight, and while I regret that I never sent it. It gives me a bit of something to remember her by. She always understood how I was with mailing things out.

So that I am not writing a book all in one post, let me end this particular post like this. She once told me that she loved the song Landslide by Fleetwood Mac. I heard that today and couldn't hold back any longer. If you want to realy know her and remember her. Listen to this song. It's the most fitting way. I see her reflection in snow covered hills. And a landslide came crashing down.

My friend, my sweetie, my darling darling Princess. I love you, and I miss you so so very much.

HTM Admin Kurt Kaoss: I am at a loss for words, and that has happened to me a very select few times in my life. Rebecca was someone I could truly call a friend. We met in the Ringside Edge chatroom through Bubba Bong, when I was a faithful listener, just as they were. We would B.S. about all kinds of things. After RSE went off the air, I started Above The Mat, and invited her to listen. She said "Well, I would......but Mojo isn't on the show." I still chuckle about that. She did call the show about 2 months ago, and we had a nice chat. One time I really remember well, was a very turbulent time here at HTM.com. Won't disclose the details, but Princess and I had quite a few conversations over IM concerning it, and she never ceased to amaze me with her wisdom & wit.

As a tribute to Rebecca, Bubba and her family & friends, I will dedicate my match this Saturday to her memory.

Becca, I already miss you.

Don Vito Mangler: Her wit,charm and ball busting ability were second to none. I only had the pleasure of knowing her on the forums. She is a sweetheart. To those that knew her away from the internet,I envy you.

May the good Lord shine a light on you Princess,you sure shined a light on me.

HTM Webmaster Ryan Smith: I truly don't know where to begin. It's not often that I am lost for words but I've sat at my computer for the last few hours trying to think of the words to convey exactly what Rebecca meant to me. I called her Becca for the most part, though most associated with me knew her as Miss Bong or Princess Spankie.
Becca started out on these very forums, nearly 4 years ago as a reoccurring "guest" to her husband's account, (BubbaBong on our forums). She was one of the few people who had been with us since day one. Upon the shut down of the site a few years back, she followed myself and others over to a rock and wrestling radio program we were producing and began listening each and every week. She was a mainstay on both our message forums and in our chat room. She was willing to give anyone hell and could bust balls like no other. But at the end of the day, her diva persona was truly just that.

As the Honky Tonk Man website resurfaced, she once again followed. This time going under the moniker Princess Spankie and becoming an even more active member of the forums. She was without question one of the most popular members on our forums, and had multiple threads dedicated directly to her.

On a personal level, we kept in contact quite a bit. I don't speak with many of the members outside of our forums, but she was one of the exceptions. We spoke at least a few times a month, often a few times a week. Her quick wit and charm made her very fun to talk to and she never had a problem passing along some friendly life advice. She was extremely easy to talk to and helped me through quite a bit. I had the opportunity to meet her over the summer during my visit to California. She had left me her number and told me if I needed any help once I was there, I should call her. I didn't want to bother her, so I never made that phone call. Now I wish I would have.

To her friends and family, I send my sympathy and condolences. R.I.P Princess.

Natureboy: When you would talk to Rebecca, you would realize that she played the board Diva very well, but was a warm, friendly, fun-loving woman in real life. This is indeed a sad day for me......I will miss you my friend.

Goodbye Princess and godspeed.

HTM Admin Remy: Rebecca (aka Princess Spankie) certainly had a strong spirit. She never let anyone get her down, from what I saw. She certainly didn't seem like the type of person who would take a lot of crap, but she also seemed like someone who had a soft side too. It's hard for me to say, given that I didn't know her as well as I would like to say I did. It's unfortunate that I did not know her better.

But it's certainly a shock to lose someone so young and with such a strong presence. It's easy to take them for granted. It's entirely unexpected, and it really is very sad, that we have lost her so suddenly.
We all had fun with Rebecca in the Spankie thread, and I think that she enjoyed it more than anyone else. I'm sure she took both the compliments and the jokes with a grain of salt. I think we're all going to miss what she brought to the boards.

My condolences to her family. I'm sure she is at peace.

TitananiumThom: My Sincerest Condolences to all of you who were friends and family with the First Lady of HTM.com. I never had the opportunity to speak with her privately, but I can tell you my heart sunk when I came to the site today. It has always been evident to me that she cared about her friends here, and that her friends here cared about her.

HTM Admin TolerancE: This has been a complete shock to not just myself, but everyone at HTM.com. Rebecca (Spankie) was always a cheerful and to the point. She always managed to reply to any post and make you laugh but nevertheless, she would go out of the way to bust your balls. She would PM me every now and then and see how my wife and daughter are doing or to just commend me on my sarcasm in post/commentary I made. Most recently she asked me what I was getting my wife for Christmas to which I replied "I don't know". Well typical Spankie fashion, she flamed the hell out of me for being a last minute shopper and how I needed to get my butt in gear.

Someone from the board said this earlier and the words couldn't have been more correct.

Many people take things for granted, when people read the forums and posts, they only see text on a computer, but when you actually dig below the surface and realize that real human beings are behind the text, it puts a whole different twist on things. It's tragic that anyone should go before their time, but it's even worse when it's someone you know or are associated with.

My prayers are with the friends and family during this trying holiday. May god bless you.

LauraPhoenix: Now I sit here in tears and can't believe she's gone. I will miss her so much and sorry that I never got to know her more. She will always be remembered.

HTM Admin Sean Carless: Although I never knew her outside the forums, Rebecca “Princess Spankie” Ely will be missed, and the announcement of her passing hit me hard. After all, nothing is more difficult and shocking than losing someone who is in the prime of their lives.

They say the measure of a life is the relationships you formed and the compassion you’ve shown throughout, and although most of us at HTM.com would only get fleeting glimpses of her in and around our boards, her genuine personality, and warm heart always shone through. Rest in Peace, Princess. You’ll never be forgotten.

Coonce: She was a real tough chic and I will always respect her for that. She always seemed to take all the crap so well and always had a reply that would put you on your toes. She had a wonderful mind and from all of you guys' replys it seems she was truly a wonderful person (not that I expected any different). I will really miss her. It was always fun having her around. She always put a twist on everything she was involved with. It will never be the same without you Spankie.

HTM Admin Talon: Really, what can I say about Rebecca that hasn't been covered by those that knew her better than I? How can I put such a remarkable person into mere words? Do I restate her acts of kindness, her ability to bring a smile to an otherwise dull & boring day, her sharp wit, or any of her other endearing traits?

Not at all. I will simply state that Rebecca was many things to many people. To me, she was one of those rare gifts that some people will never know. She was my friend, and I'm one of the many people that will miss her. My condolences go out to Rebecca's friends and family alike.

Rest in Peace my friend!

It has been said that to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, a person must be the cause of more happiness than sorrow, be a friend to those in need, and to live life to the fullest each and every day. With that said, feel free to spread your wings Princess... you have earned them.

The Staff and Members of HTM.com

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