Yesterday a dear and beloved friend of 20 years retired. We met through our work; I was his supervisor. Our relationship was always one of colleagues and confidantes. I will miss him. The good news is that he is moving on to a kind of work he has always wanted to do and I wish him well.

He is one of those very rare people, a person who truly tries to live by the principles he believes in. It has been a rough twenty years for him, as it is in this company for anyone with an intelligent brain and compassionate heart. He did his best (which was truly excellent) in many difficult situations. I know he will continue to do so.

Speaking selfishly, he leaves us the poorer, though. He was always someone I could count on to do the task right and do it well. I'll miss the hearty laugh and the luxuriantly bearded smile and the quick wit. We often would talk about "what if" situations and agreed that if colonization of other planets/moons had happened during our lifetimes, we both would have been first in line to volunteer to go. A friendship can have no sturdier basis.

I shall not see his like again in my office.