"Each voice enriches us and ennobles us, and each voice lost diminishes us." G'Kar
BIGGS AND CARTER EXPERIENCES DVD
Copies of the BIGGS AND CARTER EXPERIENCES DVD are no available at
http://www.pipetap.com/dvd.htm. All proceeds from the sale of this DVD (which includes a personalized autograph
from Jason Carter) will be donated to the RJ & Hunter Biggs Educational Trust Fund.
Additional items have been donated to the fund raising efforts, please visit
http://www.biggsandcarter.com for new additions.
Jason and Donna would also like to thank everyone for their support and donations for the RJ & Hunter
Biggs Educational Trust Fund at this year's DragonCon event.
I received a note from Donna at Pipeline Productions yesterday. In it, she indicated that she and Jason Carter
have been working on a web-page to replace The Biggs and Carter Experiences page. Since The Biggs and
Carter Experiences had been a long time dream of Rick’s, they thought it best to dedicate it to rising funds for
the RJ and Hunter Educational Fund.
They are taking donations of items and putting them on the page for interested parties to buy. All donations are
welcome and should be sent to the Pipeline Productions, P.O. Box 522, Allen Park Mi 48180. Please remember
to mark the name of the item or name of actor as well as how much you feel it should go for or the fair market value.
This will be an on going project that Jason and Donna will need as much help as possible to raise as much money
as they can. So if you do have any items or if you see anything you like let me know by email at donna@pipetap.com.
The web address is still www.biggsandcarter.com .
Material related to the passing of Richard Biggs has been moved to several pages devoted
to him inside The Zocalo Today. Please visit now, and often, to see what has been added.
RICHARD BIGGS. We will not forget Richard and let you know
as new efforts are put forth in his memory.
Ranger Jan has passed along an update on her auction efforts for Richard's children. She has sent
checks totaling about $3500 to the family. She will be posting more items for auction soon.
For more information, go to:
Auctions to benefit a Richard Biggs Memorial fund:
http://tinyurl.com/2az5w
PayPal Account: RBiggsMemorial@aol.com
Personal auctions: http://tinyurl.com/b36t
A major thanks has to go to Ranger Connie for paying to have the condolence book for Richard Biggs remain on-line
for the next year over at the LA Times. This will give fans more time to express their love and appreciation for the man
Rick was -- and to let his family know how much he meant to us, not only as an actor, but as a human being. Thanks
Connie.
I received a note from Richard's sister today, asking me to post the following note:
I would also like to thank you for sharing the information about the fund set up for Rick's children.
I would like to ask you to please let everyone know that if they send money to the bank, Lori, Richard's
wife, will have no way of knowing who they are, won't have their addresses and won't be able to thank
them. It is important to her that she be able to thank each and everyone of them. It would be such a
help if they could send a note or card to the post office box as well. That way Lori, R.J. and Hunter can
thank them for caring. We have felt the love and thoughts sent our way this past week and a half. It is
a comfort to know how many lives our brother touched. Please keep his memory alive in your thoughts
and keep our family in your thoughts and prayers.
Maria Biggs-Lynch
Last week we lost Richard Biggs who portrayed Dr. Stephen Franklin so wonderfully on Babylon 5.
The official report indicates cause of death was a tear in his aorta. Richard was just 43 and
leaves behind a loving wife and two small sons.
For accounts of the memorial service, information about memorial efforts underway for Richard's children,
please go to Richard Biggs Memorial Page. You can also share the
experience of readers here at The Zocalo through their photos at the
Remembering Richard Biggs page. If you have special photos you would like to include on this page,
please send them along to me at sgbruckner@aol.com. I will post them here for everyone to enjoy -- and I
will print them out and send them along to Richard's family.
RICHARD BIGGS TRIBUTE VIDEO
Here is a video put together by John Hudgens:
Some of you may know my work on the official Babylon 5 music videos - I haven't done one in four years, but Rick's
passing got me thinking about scenes and connections, and I made a new tribute video for Rick I'd like to share
with the community...
Here is a note from Richard's sister, Maria Biggs-Lynch. She asked that I post a note for those who would like to
contribute to Richard's memorial fund:
I am Richard Biggs' sister, Maria Biggs-Lynch. I read your account of the memorial service. Thank you for sharing
it with others. I would also like to thank you for sharing the information about the fund set up for Rick's children. I
would like to ask you to please let everyone know that if they send money to the bank, Lori, Richard's wife, will have
no way of knowing who they are, won't have their addresses and won't be able to thank them. It is important to her that
she be able to thank each and everyone of them. It would be such a help if they could send a note or card to the post
office box as well. That way Lori, R.J. and Hunter can thank them for caring. We have felt the love and thoughts sent our
way this past week and a half. It is a comfort to know how many lives our brother touched. Please keep his memory alive
in your thoughts and keep our family in your thoughts and prayers.
Maria Biggs-Lynch
Friday, May 28:
There is a touching account of the memorial service from Pat Tallman and Jeffrey Willerth at
http://www.thegalacticgateway.com/rick.html
along with a terrific photo of Jeffrey, Rick and Jason at their last convention.
A Note From Aunt Shirley - Rick's Fan Club President
Dear Friends,
Our beloved Felecia attended the church service and the memorial service. She represented the club and
the fans. As you know the other 1/2 of this club belongs to Felecia. She as many of you know was Glynnis
Turner/Dool,Simone Hardy/GH, and Jennifer Sisco of Deep Space 9. She was a close friend of Rick's for
many years, and she too was devastated with the news.
At the church memorial many of Rick's co-workers showed up to pay their respects. Stephen Nichols,
Mary Beth Evans, Wally Kurth, Matthew Ashford & his wife who also sang at the memorial service, Bruce
Boxleitner, Melissa Gilbert, Patty Tallman, Patricia Richardson, cast & crew from so many of his shows.
Some gave their eulogies some funny some sad, but all in the name of a man that was beloved by everyone
that attended.
Felecia gave her eulogy on how she met Rick at Days of Our Lives, and how they became friends. Through Rick
she met me and I have run her club from the time she was on Days. She went on to explain that I would have
been there if I could have been, but my husband comes 1st and Rick certainly would have understood that.
To say Rick's family was devastated would be putting it mildly. His mom could not come down from Washington,
because she had just had double knee surgery, and her daughter Juanita stayed with her. Rick's dad and other 3
sisters were there, and all of his nephews were his pall bearers. Though sad Felecia said it was also uplifting
because God was there with them, and he now had the handsome,flashing eyes, melodious voice Rick in heaven
with him.
She was invited back to the hotel that the Biggs family was staying at to continue their thoughts of Rick. She took
the time to call me when she returned home at 11pm EST to tell me what went on and to get it out to the club.
Though our Rick is gone we hope you will continue to support Felecia. She has many irons in the fire and
we will keep you up to date.
Once again...goodnight sweet prince until we meet in the great fanclub in the sky.
love,
Aunt Shirley
Thursday, May 27:
MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR RICHARD JAMES BIGGS II
The service was held today, Wednesday May 26, 2004, at the Emmanuel Lutheran Church in North Hollywood. It is a
HUGE church, and I am happy to report that it was packed wall to wall with family, co-workers from Days, B5, and Strong
Medicine. Rick was born on March 18, 1960, and passed away on May 22, 2004 - a mere 44 years old. There were
many beautiful bouquets of flowers, with an especially beautiful one having sunflowers located on the floor, right at
the head end of the casket. Rick is the only brother, and he has four sisters. His family is very large, very close, and
very loving - and he has produced two beautiful children, RJ and Hunter.There were several pictures of Rick, the
most striking (IMO) being a portrait with his sons.
Service began with a beautiful rendition of "The Prayer" by Christina Ashford and Norman Large, accompanied by
Sonia Ruud on the piano. Next, the welcome and opening prayer, then Rick's Life by one of his sisters, Alicia (who
is known as Kathy.) Jerry Reddinger read from Job 19: 23-27, followed by Michael Lynch reading 1 Corinthians
Chapter 13.
Peter Levine, Rick's friend for over 20 years, from when they attended USC together, told about what it meant to
BE Rick's friend, and some of their activities... not all looked upon benevolently by the administration. Pastor Ken
Frese told about The Father of RJ and Hunter, and then a tearful Andrea Lynch, one of Rick's nieces, read the Letter
to Uncle Rick.
Some short prayers, followed by The Lord's Prayer (sung exquisitely, but I didn't get the lady's name!), the Benediction,
and the hymn, "Joyful, Joyful." The attendees then lined up to pay their last respects to Rick and visit a moment with
his lovely wife Lori and his family.
The following is transcribed exactly from a card inserted in the program:
******
In honor of Richard's most prized contributions to this world, his children, a special fund has been set up for their
education. In lieu of flowers or gifts, please send donations to:
The Benefit of the Children of Richard James Biggs II
Washington Mutual Bank
840 N. San Fernando Blvd
Burbank CA 91502.
To help his children remember what a wonderful man he was and how many people's lives he touched, please
send your special memory or photo to:
RJ and Hunter Biggs
1052 W. Alameda Ave #350
Burbank CA 91506.
******
From Babylon 5, I saw the following people: This is from memory, and just because I didn't SEE someone does not
mean that s/he wasn't present, okay?
Andreas Katsulas
Pat Tallman and Jeff Willerth
Bruce and Melissa Boxleitner
Jerry Doyle
Jason Carter
Walter Koenig
Claudia Christian
joe
Doug Netter
John Copeland
I don't know anyone from any of Rick's other shows, but as I said, the church was PACKED. A fitting tribute to a
wonderful man.
Doctor Stephen Franklin, May your walkabout be a pleasant one. Rest in Peace.
** The forum has been experiencing some problems -- the volume has been tremendous. It is back up and running now.
If you experience a problem, please go back to leave a message. It will mean a great deal to the family.
RICHARD BIGGS MEMORIAL EFFORTS
A number of efforts are underway to help Rick's family in this especially hard time. Ranger Laura has some up with
a unique way of showing her support.
Jan, you've inspired me. And I'm going to take it a step further, because when charity is involved, one-up-manship
is a good thing. As some of you may recall, back in 1998, the Starship Modeler website (www.starshipmodeler.com)
held a "Starfury Wing Art" competition. My entry, a follow-up to a customized, fully-lit, hand-painted version of
Sinclair's 'Fury from the Battle of the Line (I sold an article to Fine Scale Modeler Magazine about the construction
of that model, which I was paid for but which sadly never ran. See photos and details on this model at
http://nova.umuc.edu/~friedman/b5md/models/starfury3.html) was a design for the Starfury I imagined Valen
flew from Babylon 4 (see photos at http://nova.umuc.edu/~friedman/b5md/models/starfury4.html). It won the
contest by a landslide, was featured in Fine Scale Modeler's "Great Scale Modeling 1999" special magazine, and
earned a shout-out from JMS. After that, I was contacted by many collectors who wanted me to build and customize
their models. Unfortunately, at that same time, I developed severe ulnar neuropathy in my right arm and had to stop
painting and modelling. Two surgeries and six years later, I'm finally capable of returning to the game. And I have an
unbuilt Revell Starfury model kit in my stash of "B5 collectibles I was saving for posterity."
So ... I am hereby announcing a fund-raising auction of *the winner's choice of any design of custom, fully-lit Starfury
model* to be constructed by yours truly, and with all proceeds going to whatever Memorial Fund is established for
Richard Biggs' sons. Pick a 'fury from the series, and I will build it and you *will* be impressed. Bidding starts at
$150 ... but please realize that way back in '98, the going rates for custom-built science fiction models by other artists
were more in the realm of $300-500 a model. And need I say, it's for a very good cause.
Please feel free to disseminate this offer at any B5 or other SF sites you, the reader, may frequent, or send it to any
friends you think might be interested, as I want to raise as much money as is possible in memory of an actor who
brought us all so much enjoyment. Bidders should send their Starfury Requests and bid amounts to
l-appelbaum@mindspring.com. At the end of June, I'll announce the winner here (unless they want anonymity).
Ranger Jan has begun an effort to raise money for a memorial fund. Richard has two small children, and I
am sure everyone in the B5 community will want to show the family how much Rick meant to us -- not only as a
fine actor, but as a wonderful human being. Here is Jan's note explaining her efforts:
Upon hearing how young Richard Biggs children are, I didn't want to wait to begin raising money for his memorial fund.
I'm hoping that you'll be able to help me spread the word and assure people that I'm on the level.
What I've done so far is to begin a new Ebay account called RBiggsMemorial and a new PayPal account to email
address RBiggsMemorial@aol.com. I've started two auctions so far and have several more planned.
What I'm asking: If at all possible could you help me spread the news of what I'm doing to your friends/colleagues/
forums/websites etc. I will be happy to list any items that you'd like auctioned off for this also.
Please note that this is so far quite unofficial but I have already written to JMS telling him what I wanted to do. If for
any reason he or Richard's family have reservations I'll stop immediately or relinquish the accounts to them. Upon
finding out information for an official memorial account, I'll see what I can do about linking the PayPal account to
that so that the funds will be immediately available to them.
Thanks for your help and friendship.
Jan
An update on Jan's auctions:
One Thousand Seven Hundred Dollars has been raised thusfar from the auctions sponsored by Ranger Jan. She
indicates that she will be sending information on who donated and bid along with the check I send to the Trust.
Auctions to benefit a Richard Biggs Memorial fund: http://tinyurl.com/2az5w .
PayPal Account: RBiggsMemorial@aol.com
EXPRESSIONS OF SADNESS:
BRUCE BOXLEITNER/MELISSA GILBERT: Bruce and Melissa have put a message in memory of Richard
Biggs out at their website http://www.gilbert-boxleitner.com/.
PETER DAVID: Calling Biggs "one of the sweetest guys in the world," Peter David, one of the writers who contributed
to the B5 universe, also expressed his condolences to Biggs' family. "I'm horrified to learn this," David said at his
website. "I was supposed to see Rick at the Motor City Con but he wasn't able to make it, so I didn't, and now I won't
get to again."
AUNT SHIRLEY (Rick's Fan Club President):
Dearest Friends,
It is with great sadness that I announce that our beloved Richard passed away on Saturday May 22nd. He was
talking to his beloved Lori and he just died. They are having an autopsy, and at this moment I have no other
details. I don't know where or when he will be laid out, but as soon as I know I will pass it on to you.
He was 44 years old and leaves behind his wife Lori, his mom & dad, 4 sisters and two sons.
He was as all of you know like a son to me for 17 years. I had spoken to him twice last week, and he was joking
and in great spirits.
We all loved him and will miss him. Please pray for his family and for him.
He is gone, but never forgotten.
Aunt Shirley
For those of us fortunate enough to have met Rick, we can spend today reflecting on those
encounters. He was a wonderful man, a very classy guy -- the consummate gentleman. We
will all miss him tremendously.
Here is a picture of Rick, Jason and Jeffrey at a recent convention. I think Rick would enjoy
seeing this picture on our front page, since he enjoyed the company of fans very much and this
is how many of us will remember him -- full of life.
REMEMBERING RICHARD BIGGS
As the photo above shows, Rick loved his fans and he loved doing conventions so that he could meet the
people who loved Babylon 5 as much as he did. If you have a favorite photo of Rick you would like to share,
pass it along. I have already gotten a couple already and expect there will be dozens more. I will post them
on a separate page. Richard Biggs.
CAREER
Rick starred in a number of TV series. Click here to get a listing of his works.
Richard Biggs Filmography
For accounts of the memorial service, information about memorial efforts underway for Richard's children,
please go to 
A message forum has been set up at 
Here is a picture of Rick, Jason and Jeffrey at a recent convention. I think Rick would enjoy
seeing this picture on our front page, since he enjoyed the company of fans very much and this
is how many of us will remember him -- full of life. 
