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Geez, O Pete, that was quite a story. Glad to see your post, but sorry it was such a painful one! I will second the last poster, you are truly inspirational. I'll keep the prayers coming, and please watch those steps and be gentle with yourself.

OMG John/ you don't have enough problems? I am glad to have you posting. Job one: I am sure your wife and kids will agree: take care of yourself. No more accidents. We're pulling for you. Eat. Get better. Your friend/ Mike

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Michael Hurley
Impresario

Gosh, John, that was a scary story. Your family, neighbors, friends and inner strength helped you make it through, though. Keep hanging in there. We all have you in our thoughts and prayers.

You mean so much to all of us and that was quite a scare of almost losing you like that. But your a tough one with purpose and the big guy upstairs was not ready yet for you.
You have to keep us going still.
Feel better and god bless you and a speedy recovery from your latest medical crisis!

I agree, if that doesn't prove the man upstairs doesn't want you yet nothing does!

God Bless!

Tony.

I'm still hanging in there!

Recovered well from the fall. Have a hospital bed and very comfortable recliner set up in our family room. Able to use a walker to get around the house, and to twice-weekly IV hydration at the cancer clinic. Unfortunately, not able to get many calories or much protein into my system, so I continue to lose weight and strength.

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John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Customer Technical Services
Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
Eastman Kodak Company
Rochester, NY 14650-1922
Telephone: +1 585-477-5325 Fax: +1 585-722-7243
E-Mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Website: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion

Hi John,

I wanted to send along my well wishes to you. Since joing the site about two years ago now your past posts have been a tremendous help to me in regards to getting started in the theatre business.

I'm relatively young to be a theatre owner and it's people like you who made the job/lifestyle change so much easier for me.

I send you all the best wishes and prayers.

- mannooss

Hi everyone,

This is Anne, John's daughter. I am so sorry to give you the news that my dad passed away last night at 11:40pm EST after a year-long battle with cancer. My dad had a fantastic day Thursday -- he felt the strongest he has in a long time and had a very enjoyable day with his sister and brother-in-law who came to visit. He has been sleeping downstairs the past few weeks in a hospital bed and I have been nearby on the couch, and he slept quite well Thursday night. Friday morning he said he felt weaker than usual, but was very optimistic about trying to have more nutrition within the next few weeks. At 10am, he started having severe cramping and it got progressively worse as time went on. He was on 2ml morphine every half hour and nothing could stop the intense pain. Even though he had so much morphine, he never lost his consciousness and was very alert throughout the whole ordeal. He decided to enter hospice that evening. My sister Katie flew home from Boston and arrived around 10:30pm. At hospice, the nurses were able to give him enough sedatives to lessen pain, and he fell into a deep sleep. He died very peacefully, surrounded by family.

He gave me his username and password a few weeks ago and wanted me to inform you of the news when needed. He loved participating on film-tech and various film boards and he had such admiration and respect for all of you. He -- and my family -- appreciated all your kind words and prayers. My dad may not have met many of you face to face but please know he considered you all his dear friends.

I have been humbled by John's strength and resolve during his illness. His earthly journey has ended and a far better journey has begun. My condolences to the family.

I am in deep mourning. We have lost a very special person. John was always there no matter how busy he was to not only answer on the boards but to answer on an individual level.
He had sent me a lot of stuff on projection guidelines and even a few tapes on the subject. He is what turned me onto projection and the correct ways of doing things.
He was the greatest person I never met. Weird huh we all new him but none of us(Majority) ever got to meet this great guy.
He will always be here with us in spirit and through his postings that will be here forever to educate and make us smile whenever we read them and think of his wisdom and need to always extend his knowledge to us.
God bless john and his loving family at this time.
Just want his family to know we all loved and will miss him so much!
We have been there with you and also grieve this day!

I'm so sorry for your loss Anne. I didn't know your father except through his posts on these boards. My wife and I were interested in starting a theater and his advice to everyone on here was very helpful. From his most recent posts it was obvious that he had a very strong spirit. We share your loss.

Tom Hughes

May God comfort you in your loss. John was a wonderful "friend" and resource who will continue to give through what he has already written.

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Bob Allen
The Old Showman

I was lucky enough to meet and hang around with Johnon more than a few occasions. WE quickly figured out that we shared political passions (D) and besides technical advice we always spent cheerful time talking down the opposition. He was an unusual guy in that for a company guy he was generous and extrordinarily willing to help and go not the extra mile but the extra whatever it took. He never tired and he always helped. In the affectionate use of the word: he was a quintessential techie geek. He loved the technology that made the greatest ever storytelling medium work and he could explain it in a way that brought newbies up to speed without condescending and yet he also managed to snare an Oscar for his work on the Labratory Aim Density System http://www.film-tech.com/warehouse/trailers/filmtechpytlak/filmtechpytlak.html and http://www.film-tech.com/warehouse/pics/pytlakaward/pytlakaward.html. He was a diverse and goodhearted man. I will remember him and I mourn his passing. God speed John.

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Michael Hurley
Impresario

The projection booths in heaven just got a little brighter. John Pytlak will be deeply mourned and dearly missed in the exhibition community. A kinder man I have never met. My most sincere condolences to the Pytlak family.

Rick Cohen
Transit Drive-in Theatre
Lockport, New York

Even though I have only been in this business for 9 mos; I know I owe John a great deal of gratitude for all he has contributed to this board and FT. As a beginner I have already learned alot from him and know I will use his expertise for the rest of my theater years.

Anne, thanks for keeping us up to date. Your father was a wonderful man.