I can kind of relate to that GM. I know what it feels like to be really excited for a big event coming up in an RP and just wanting to get to it. That wait can be hard, but by god is it worth it if you can pull it off. 

However, I am going to have to pull a Brovo here and say "The RP didn't die cause the DM left. It died because once he left and you guys as players didn't pick it up and keep moving". I mean, I've been in several RP's that died after the GM vanished. I'm guilty of this too, I know how tricky it can be to keep it going. But I've also been in roleplay communities that were founded as a result of ditching a bad GM/Leadership and starting new, it is entirely possible for a RP to get even better after losing their DM.