I've got a pretty long list here, so bear with me. A lot of thanks is long overdue in many cases.
Garek - Not sure if he even remembers or not, but I ran into him on an airship probably... oh.. about a year or so ago. I was probably still in the 40s as Paladin at the time. he checked me and offered some advice on gear. To this day, I appreciate it, and this kind offer of unsolicited advice has inspired me to do the same for a number of other young paladins, now that I'm in a better position to do so.
Rhynhart, Tizzie, and the crew of the Shadowstar (or is it Starshadow?) LS - Without these folks, it would have been even longer before I got my Gallant Surcoat. They went with me to Zvahl to get my key and coffer. They left before someone forgot to pass, and thus left with the key, which I hadn't realized until I found the coffer and died from aggro. They were kind enough to go out of their way (twice) for me, came all the way back, and wiped trying to Raise me and get me another key. The fact that they came back like that impressed the hell out of me.
Deedo - Thanks for taking me on my first Dynamis run, even if we didn't make it all the way through. I was accepted by this LS, when most other Dynamis LSes would have turned me down due to being only level 66 and not having Sea access yet.
Vance - Of all the players I've met, he spends more time with me than anyone else outside of parties. He almost always asks me if I want to go do a quest/mission/NM/whatever, when most people go their own way and do their own thing, and/or communicate with you only when they need something. Vance makes me feel welcome and wanted.
TornadoAlley LS - Because there are so many people, I'm not going to list them all, but it's thanks to these guys that I was able to go from ZM4 to flagging ZM14 in one day, and most of them are willing to run off and do stuff as a group. I've been introduced to a lot of new aspects and areas of the game thanks to these folks. I also get my daily dose of insanity from them.
Zilliard and Soulcarrier - Two people I've come to consider my "wards" to some extent. Both are determined and dedicated Paladins now in the low-mid 40 range. They work hard to learn their jobs, they're not afraid to ask questions, and they appreciate advice given to them. I expect to see great things from these two.