I’m confident in saying he probably influenced each of us in our chosen hobby’s endeavors. As a suggestion for a GB, perhaps it would be fun to “Build (or show) your first Tamiya model” to commemorate and honor Mr Tamiya, just a thought if anyone’s intrested 
Cajun 
Maybe build a or your favorite Tamiya kit.
Agreed, I was thinking from a personal perspective of how my involvement in the scale model hobby was affected after building my first Tamiya model, the objective is to recognize his contribution to the plastic model industry.
Cajun
A GB of our first/favorite Tamiya model - great idea! I’ll join.
For me, the first would have been one of these, or the M4A3E8 or M41 or M42:
|35001| German Army Tank Crew
|35002| German Army Infantry
|35003| Schwimmwagen
|35004| U.S. Army Tank Crew
|35005| 6-pounder Anti-Tank Gun
|35006| Kübelwagen
|35007| British Army Infantry
Thinking back through five decades, I think my first was the M41 or one of the German wagens.
My favorite? Oh boy, that is almost impossible to decide. “Army”, ships, planes, where to start?
Godspeed, Mister Tamiya.
If someone starts a campaign to build any Tamiya model, I will join.
I cannot remember my first Tamiya model. The oldest Tamiya model in my display cases is either a Marder II or Panzer II, probably from my late-teens.
I would join in.
A “build your first Tamiya” would be a proper salute.
My first Tamiya build was the “Hunting Tiger” tank destroyer.
The kit is long gone, sadly. I think it’s time to slap a Tamiya kit together, in memory of Mr. Tamiya’s legacy in the modeling world. 
Robert was the suit required for the model show or just out of respect? Curious
My first was the motorized 1/35 SU 100 from the previous century. At age 10 0r 11, I thought they goofed up and made the barrel to long…so I shortened it.
The contest was in Aliso Viejo, CA. The photo is from some sort of event in Shizuoka City. (dinner maybe?) Four of us were asked to bring our models to the annual Toy Show there. I brought three IDF Centurions made from the ancient Tamiya kits. One of them had a full interior and a partial engine bay made from a diesel locomotive. (the fans)
One of our hosts told me Mr. Tamiya liked that Centurion best of all because he knew the work that went into it. So I did what seemed a nice thing to do - I gifted it to him.
I think that explains their 1/25 Centurion with a complete interior. I still have the one that I built back in the seventies. It’s not in too bad of shape. I have such good memories of it that several years ago I found one a good price and bought it.
Great picture, memory, and job, Skipper.
I bought that 1/25th Centurion from a club member several years ago for $40. I hemmed and hawed about building it, but finally sold it on eBay for $180.
$40!?!? Oh, why, oh why, can I never find such a deal?
But you just gave all of us the ability to tell our wives that our models can appreciate over 300%! Well done.
Tamiya’s older kits also offered a cost-effective entry point into 1/35 scale models with good buildability and a decent level of detail. Mine was the T-34-76 with the cast hexagonal turret (m. 1943). Back then, I didn’t even know about primer, but boy, was it fun. I have a Panther kit made around the same time which I might get around to building soon. I’d love a commemorative GB to show your first Tamiya kit, or as Tank_1812 suggested, just to build a Tamiya kit.
Another sad loss.
Would definitely take part in a Tamiya campaign in his honour.
First Tamiya I did was the Leopard 1A4, still in production. Pretty sure my LHS has a couple on their shelf right now.
I think the one I built is still at my folks.
I bought it from a club member. He was an airplane guy, I offered him more but he didn’t take. Sadly he passed away 4 years ago. I think he was in his late 90s, great guy. He fought in the Bulge and retired as an NYPD detective. We have a memorial award in his name for our shows.