So true BlackHound. He has left behind a legacy that developed into one of the most unforgetable characters in writing history.
No matter on a personal level of experience an individual had with Mr. Nettleship the character of Severus Snape will forever be the strength and guardian behind Harry Potter. The secret unsung hero until the end.
His contribution be it good or bad on each students life came out to be a learning experience for future generations on personal valor and devotion to loyality. In a hard shell case of a human being that life never gave a break but morphed into an example of honor. We will miss him greatly. I do wish he could have held a few more months to see his alter ego become the fallen hero. He did by all blessings get to read this in print. I hope he took with him to the otherside the satisfaction as a teacher, that through his inspiration of Severus he has and will continue to teach.
Thank You Mr. John Nettleship. You'll never be forgotten.

I must say, I don't know much about this man - most of the information I know came from the pages you just gave (very interesting debates there!. But my condolences to his family, friends, and various loved ones. Cancer is a horrible disease :(

This is definitely a man that isn't going to be forgotten.

Thank you both. Trust me, I cried for a little while before I decided I absolutely had to post that here. I was aware of him three years ago, and I was very sad to catch notice of his passing.

The beauty of it is, regardless of whatever JK intended with the character/characterization, that through her hands that man reached each one of us. He taught each one of us something or instilled in us something valuable, something that perhaps we might not have gained otherwise.

I had a second LJ accout that I never got around to deleting; yesterday I finally decided to put it to good use. The first post was about him. It was a simple one, and I ended with:

To be remembered as the man who inspired the character The Boy Who Lived called "probably the bravest man I ever knew"...now, that's a tribute.

If you would like to check out my Wizarding-dedicated LJ, the link is in my Profile. Feel free to reply if you like. :-)

Life never gave a break to poor Severus, but John had on the whole a good life. He had a lot of stresses in early years and some terrible medical problems - not just the cancer, which was miserbaly gruelling, but nearly being killed in a car crash some years beforehand - but he also had a long and very happy marriage, hordes of children, stepchildren and grandchildren and many very good friends. He was very well-liked, including by most of his former students, and had a courageous, affectionate, playful and generally happy nature and a great capacity for enjoyment.

He himself said that Snape was his Horcrux, who would make him live on after death.

Hello whitehound! :-D

I think your post will give a lot of us here a sense of peace...I know it does me.

He really wasnt that bad you know " john nettleship" i had him for sciences at wyedean, i think he played up to the snape thing in later years, its sad i didnt catch up with him again before he passed away, we made beer in one of his classes and he brought the fermented bottle to my parents house in the school holidays back when i was there lol.

note: Alan Rickmans voice is almost like Mr Nettleships lol

It's too bad he passed away, but it must be nice to be known to be the inspiration of one of the greatest characters in a series. And isn't it kind of ironic that he passed so close to the release date of DHp2? Not to sound insensitive or anything. I honestly feel bad for him and his family.