We’ve lost another fan-favorite horror icon.

The horror community is kind of the greatest thing ever. Through conventions and the internet, fans, creators, and stars mingle and essentially become one big ole twisted family, and though I will not deny that the community sometimes thrives on negativity and in-fighting, I personally chalk that up to passion. Underneath it all, the community is home to some of the warmest, kindest, and most awesome people on the planet, and when we lose one of our own, we all feel it.

All of us here on Bloody Disgusting were incredibly saddened to hear the news last night that Don Calfa, best known as the hilarious Ernie Kaltenbrunner in Return of the Living Dead, had passed away at the age of 76, just days before his 77th birthday. Calfa, who also had memorable roles in films like Weekend at Bernie’s and Chopper Chicks in Zombietown, was a staple of the horror convention scene for many years, often appearing alongside his fellow Return of the Living Dead stars. And as every fan who ever met him will attest, he was always happy to be there.

In celebration of Calfa’s life, we’d love to hear YOUR favorite memories of meeting him on the convention scene. And to kick things off, I wanted to share mine.

The August 2006 Monster Mania convention, which took place in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, was one of the very first cons I ever attended, and Don Calfa was there alongside Linnea Quigley and Beverly Randolph. This is going back ten years now, so I admittedly don’t have much memory of my encounter with Calfa at the table, but oh boy do I remember what happened next.

During the meet-and-greet chat, I got so caught up talking to Don, Linnea, and Beverly that I somehow managed to leave my Calfa-signed 8″x10″ photo behind. I walked away without even realizing, and when I reached the hotel lobby, I heard someone behind me shouting my name. I turned around and there he was. It was Don Calfa. Don Calfa was shouting my name!

Calfa had the signed photo in his hand, and he explained to me that I left it on his table and he didn’t want me to leave without it. I thanked him, we shook hands, and he headed back to the autograph room. As for me, I stood there in the lobby for a minute. I remember being completely blown away that Don Calfa, the star of one of my favorite movies, cared enough about me, a random fan, to leave his table and come track me down because I left his autograph behind. He had already gotten the money for it, but the whole encounter clearly meant more to him than that.

I never knew Don Calfa on any sort of personal level, and that was to be the only time that I ever interacted with him. But it’s a brief moment in time that has forever stuck with me. And it’s a memory that came flooding back when I heard the news that Calfa had passed away. My encounter with him in New Jersey told me all I needed to know about who he was as a person.

He was family. To me. To you. To all of us.