Tabletop roleplaying games create bonds that transcend the ordinary. More than dice and character sheets, these games cultivate communities where strangers become companions, and companions become family. Through countless hours of shared stories—whether face-to-face or across digital divides—we forge connections that leave lasting impressions on our hearts and minds. This memorial space honors those members of our extended Atlanta PFS family who have embarked on their final adventure, ensuring that their memories, their stories, and their contributions to our lodge remain forever vivid in our collective experience.
The individuals memorialized here left indelible impressions on AtlantaPFS and, consequently, on many of our personal journeys. Each possessed the rare gift of breathing authentic life into their characters and NPCs, elevating them beyond ink and paper into memorable presences that enhanced our collective adventures. Stand with us now as we remember their contributions and celebrate their spirits.
David Scott Shaw (1973-2022)
Shaw was larger than life in every sense—his stature, his booming laugh, and the warmth he brought to every room he entered. As Regional Venture-Coordinator for the Appalachian Region from 2017 to 2020, he led with a gentle strength that defined his approach to organized play. Even-tempered and soft-spoken, Shaw never raised his voice when challenges arose, choosing instead to guide with patience and understanding.
His generosity extended far beyond the gaming table. Whether writing letters of recommendation for lodge members in need or mentoring the next generation of players and GMs, Shaw was always willing to lend a hand. He had a gift for bringing out the best in people, helping novices grow into confident players and guiding players to become skilled game masters themselves.
Perhaps nothing captured Shaw’s spirit better than his portrayal of Miss Flowers from Pathfinder—feather boa and all. Through this beloved character, he challenged people’s comfort levels around gender identity, using the absurdity of discomfort during roleplay to open hearts and minds. It was Shaw at his finest: teaching important lessons through the games he loved, with humor and heart.
Shaw passed away in August 2022, leaving behind his wife Jami, his son Kellan, and a community forever changed by his kindness. Jami and Kellan will always be part of the AtlantaPFS family, carrying forward the legacy of a man who made us all better gamers—and better people.
Emil Ujcik (1960s-2024)
Emil discovered his love for dragons and adventure with the White Box edition of D&D in the late 1970s, and that passion never wavered over four decades of gaming. When the pandemic closed venues and shifted organized play online, Emil and his brother Jim found their way to AtlantaPFS’s virtual tables on Fantasy Grounds Unity, becoming regular fixtures at those sessions.
The Ujcik brothers were inseparable at the table, crafting complementary characters that played off each other with perfect timing—and a shared love of flight that kept their GM scrambling for the Pythagorean theorem to calculate ranges. Emil brought a wonderful sense of humor to every session, encouraging shenanigans and waiting with anticipation to see what mayhem would unfold. His characters were as memorable as they were entertaining: Xaq the Ysoki mechanic who fermented Twizzlers in his cheek pouches, Kit Bullnose, Wachdis, and his favorite, Nobo—a bard with a voice like Ariana Grande who could never quite remember the lyrics (“Twinkle, twinkle, little fire, how I wonder why you’re far…”).
As a 2-glyph Pathfinder 2E GM and former Venture Agent in Chicago, Emil was dedicated to the craft of game mastering, working steadily toward earning his 5 glyphs through both online and in-person games. After sessions ended, he’d often stay on to talk about everything from music—particularly vocal performances on “The Charismatic Voice”—to gardening, politics, and the state of the world. His 1,800-square-foot garden, a legacy from his father, provided fresh vegetables to friends and neighbors throughout the summer, a reflection of his generous spirit.
Emil passed away suddenly in December 2024, just as he was looking forward to scheduling more winter games and thriving in his return to in-person play at his local game store. His brother Jim remains part of the AtlantaPFS family, carrying forward the memories of countless adventures shared across virtual tables during extraordinary times.