“I think 2 of the 4 numbers are lower row 4 & 7. @:-)” is what FlyerTalk member MRKEY posted in the OMNI forum on Monday, November 5, 2016 at 7:44 in the evening Eastern Standard Time pertaining to a watch which was thought to be stolen but was eventually found — and that became the last time he posted on FlyerTalk.
In Memoriam: MRKEY
At 70 years of age, MRKEY — whose real name is Stuart David Schwartz — passed away peacefully in his sleep on Tuesday, November 30, 2021; and this discussion on FlyerTalk is dedicated to his memory. The cause of death had not been publicly disclosed at the time this article was written.
Having first joined FlyerTalk as a member on Friday, January 21, 2000, MRKEY posted content a total of 3,430 times and participated in a variety of forums — but especially and mainly the Delta Air Lines | SkyMiles forum. His last activity on FlyerTalk was on Saturday, February 16, 2019 at 8:12 in the morning Eastern Standard Time.
I met Stu a number of times in person in addition to the banter back and forth with each other on FlyerTalk. He was always a cheerful person; but not one to be in the spotlight or the center of attention.
In other words: MRKEY was…er…low key.
The following is an excerpt from the obituary of Stuart David Schwartz:
Stu was born in Cleveland, Ohio to parents Martin L Schwartz and Myrl Schwarz, but grew up in Shaker Heights.
Stu was a world traveler. In his lifetime, he was able to travel to India, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Greece, Peru, Mexico, and numerous other locations. Besides travel, Stu loved to fix things, especially electronics and cars. Stu also owned and ran several difference businesses. He began with Community Electronics, a stereo store in the Hip Coventry District of Cleveland Heights, and a chain of key shops, Mr. Key, in Houston.
The last sentence unlocks the source of his choice of name on FlyerTalk.
Final Boarding Call
The loss of a FlyerTalk member is always sad for me. I really dislike having to mourn yet another fellow frequent flier — especially one whom I had met in person a number of times.
In the meantime, my thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends and colleagues of MRKEY. This discussion has been posted on FlyerTalk in his honor.
May you rest in peace, Stu. You are indeed missed…
All photographs ©2007 by Brian Cohen.
