Anyone who reads RGP will have read this very sad news. Al Garber was an email friend of mine for many years - as he was to very, very many. Al was an EM guy, and one of the leaders of "Team-EM" dedicated to those games and helping others with them. A few years ago he sent me the manuscript for a book he wrote about his childhood. It remains one of the funniest things I have ever read, as I found so many similarities to my own youth (as I am sure any guy would).
He spent time on the phone with Nug last year, discussing Coconut Island and life in general.
You can gather the level of esteem in which he was held from the RGP thread.
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.pinball/browse_thread/thread/613843d153750a51/453870b05592bd8cDespite never meeting Al, he was my friend, as he was to many many other pin heads, world wide.
God bless you Al.