Sheldon Menery, Godfather Of Commander, Passes Away
Sheldon Menery, the Godfather of Commander, retired Level 5 Magic: The Gathering judge, founding member of the Commander Rules Committee, and longtime columnist for Star City Games, died last night after a seven-year bout with cancer.
Menery’s wife posted the sad news on Facebook this morning, adding an announcement for a memorial gathering will be coming soon. Menery spoke candidly about his ongoing treatment and struggle with the disease on social media, but still managed to make it out to MagicCons and SCG CON events to play his favorite format and be around the people he loved. He continued writing his columns for SCG until the end, with his last piece published on Tuesday. Menery wrote for SCG since 2000, penning more than 800 articles over the 23-year period.
Menery was an influential Magic judge who was dedicated to fair play at all levels of the game. After retiring from judging in 2011 he dabbled in Pro Tour coverage, completed his master’s degree in English literature, and even briefly worked for Wizards of the Coast (WotC) as a game designer. He was a fundamental force in shaping Commander, bringing it from an obscure format in Alaska to what is now the most widely-played format in the game. He continued supporting the game as a founding figure of the Commander Rules Committee, weighing in on bans, unbans, and adding more members to the committee.
On top of his accomplishments in the game of Magic, Menery was also a retiree of the US Air Force and listed his job as a full-time trophy husband.
Members of the Magic community shared their memories and adoration for the pillar of the game on social media.
I once asked Sheldon what his secret was. He told me:
"I'm not great at everything, but I am great at surrounding myself with excellent people. And that takes care of the rest."
Thank you for counting so much of Magic among those excellent people. Rest in peace, friend. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Lk9aMqsW4q
— Gavin Verhey (@GavinVerhey) September 8, 2023Rest peacefully and proudly @SheldonMenery — you left an indelible mark on the game we all love and an even bigger one on everyone who loved you.
I count myself lucky that you pulled me into that great big group hug that you called friends. Love you and I will miss you dearly.
— Brian David-Marshall (@Top8Games) September 8, 2023I've known Sheldon for over twenty years, first as a Magic judge, later as a pillar of the commander community, but most importantly as a friend.
I'm sad he's gone, but I'm glad he's not in pain any more.
RIP.
— Brian Kibler (@bmkibler) September 8, 2023Sheldon was indefatigably positive and kind even as his body betrayed him at an early age, and humble in spite of his enormous impact. He will be missed. I already miss him.
— Patrick Sullivan (@BasicMountain) September 8, 2023for the amount of time that I knew Sheldon and called him a friend, his work & passion had a disproportionately huge impact on my life.
how utterly different life would be were it not for the format of a card game that he & some others manifested.
Relieved he is out of pain now. pic.twitter.com/7wSPh2VQ64
I've had the pleasure of knowing Sheldon for the past 20 years. And I say pleasure because that's absolutely what it was and there's no better word to describe our friendship
I assumed we'd only have a relationship around MTG given that's how we met. But how wrong I was heh
1/x pic.twitter.com/g6UErj0Keu
— Cedric A Phillips (@CedricAPhillips) September 8, 2023Sheldon was so, so good at living that it’s really hard to fathom him dying. He reminded us all that this whole thing—Magic, life—is meant to be enjoyed. Blessed to have known the man. RIP
— Aaron Forsythe (@mtgaaron) September 8, 2023RIP Sheldon Menery. The Godfather of Commander and an amazing guy on top. Classy, smart, and filled with good ideas, we lost a real one today.
Magic is a better game because he was a part of it. And that's one hell of a legacy right there.
— Evan Erwin (@misterorange) September 8, 2023I’ve never been eloquent in painful & sad situations but I’d be remiss if I didn’t try to say how amazing @SheldonMenery was and how many lives he touched. The world was such a better place with him in it. Hold your loved ones extra close. RIP.
— Rachel Agnes (@baetog_) September 8, 2023Sheldon touched the lives of innumerable people (including my own) – he will be remembered fondly and greatly missed.
Rest in peace, friend 🫡
— Luis Scott-Vargas (@lsv) September 8, 2023I had the honor and privilege to meet and work with Sheldon in Vegas last year. A pillar of the MTG community and just an excellent person all around. Thank you for making the best format of all time. Rest easy Sheldon. https://t.co/LFoT8KUSow
— Voxy (@VoxyTwitch) September 8, 2023Sheldon Menery was a wonderful soul: intelligent, passionate, but most of all caring. His love for this game, for the Commander format, and most of all for the Magic: The Gathering community will be missed.
Without a doubt, he shaped this game and community for the better. https://t.co/oJGF9kXydf
— Tolarian Community College (@TolarianCollege) September 8, 2023Sheldon was changing (arguably saving) Magic long before anyone heard of commander by making tournaments a quality experience for non-cheaters.
Then he changed it again with commander.
RIP to a legend. Few will ever impact our game this much. https://t.co/Qo8gDOywP3
— Brian "BoshNRoll" Coval (@BoshNRoll) September 8, 2023ncG1vNJzZmiZoqm2pLjErGWsrJGnsKrA2KCYpp2jY7CwuY6mmKChk2LBqbGMoJitoJWntq%2BzjqyfnqSUpLtuucSnnKuxXZy8pbLArZ%2Beql2ks26vzqakmqaUmr9uvMCsqp6rXZbEosWO