It's one of those things, people come and go. And come back. And go again. It's the world of the internet. There are forums that I took very active roles in (thousands of posts), but eventually it just "gets old", I guess. I never "made an announcement" per se, just stopped posting. Some of the members would send messages (which I got via email) and I would fill them in. Most could have cared less or didn't even notice. This is one of the FEW forums I have been involved in where the "LOOK AT ME!!! I AM TALKING!!! LISTEN!!!" is very, very minimal.
Nonetheless, Midpack's contributions have been substantial, so even if *really* doesn't come back, his insights will live on. Don't you wish that some of your parent's or grandparent's stories could have been recorded in such a manner? Pretty cool, eh?