#140 Goodbye To a Close Friend

My very close friend Mark that had cancer has died. I arrived in Doha and those were the first messages that greeted me when I turned my phone on. I’m a bit numb frankly, although this was not unexpected. He died peacefully in his sleep, in the hospital, his wife by his side. His absence will leave a void in my life and he will be sorely missed by all who knew him.

He was a genuine, giving, selfless man and I was honored to be his friend. He was full of boundless energy, irreverent, and endlessly curious about everything. He genuinely cared for others and helped at the drop of a hat, often at the expense of himself. He was a wonderful son and a loving husband. I knew him for 12 years and I count myself fortunate that the last 14 months of the COVID crisis we lived together closely. I learned so much from him. Even now, just a couple of days later, I am always thinking of something I want to tell him and feeling the pang that I can no longer do so. He was one the people that I truly counted on and I will never forget him.

Goodbye Mark.

A view of the Bosphorus at night (from the European side looking at Asia) - If it wasn’t for Mark I wouldn’t be here. He is the one that set this adventure on motion.