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This is without a doubt one of the saddest/creepiest experiences I've ever had: Len Gregory, "The Cartridge Man" has for 30 years or so been manufacturing analog playback accessories, among them modified cartridges, a handy digital level and an excellent digital stylus force gauge featuring rechargeable batteries.

I used the stylus force gauge for about 15 years until the batteries no longer took a charge, and then I put it aside. I reviewed it in Stereophile in 1999:

"... This neat little digital-readout device sells for $299 - a little more than a third of the cost of the Winds gauge - currently the industry standard. ... One thing I really like about the new gauge is that, unlike the Wind's weighing beam - which protrudes from the side, ... the Cartridge Man's beam is well protected. I used a 2g brass weight lab-certified ... the Cartridge Man measured the weight as 1.98g, which for me is more than adequate."
Michael Fremer, Stereophile, 2/99, P51-52

But I kept using the digital level. For some reason today I decided to resurrect the stylus pressure gauge so I took it apart (voiding the long since lapsed warranty) and noted the unusual battery. I decided to contact Mr. Gregory after all of these years to ask about the unusual battery (which I later found online). I emailed him around 4PM:
-----Original Message----- From: Michael Fremer [mailto:mfremer@analogplanet.com
Sent: 28 October 2020 22:16
To: thecartridgeman@talktalk.net
Subject: Hello Cartridgeman!!

Long time since I’ve contacted you!

Hope you are surviving Covid-19 lockdown by listening to a lot of music!

I still regularly use your digital level gauge (you misspell it "guage" on the website)…

And I have the Digital stylus force gauge too but it no longer takes a charge.

The LED lights up when the walwart is connected to it but that’s all that happens.

I figured since it’s around 20 years old, I’d open it up and "void the warranty".

I see inside a green wrapped battery pack and wonder if you have the part number or whatever so I can try replacing it to see if that gets it working again?

Any help you can give me most appreciated!

Michael Fremer
editor analogPlanet.com
Stereophile senior contributing editor

Not long afterwards I received this email from "Leonard Gregory":

I am very sorry to tell you that Leonard died this evening, quite suddenly.

Jean Gregory