A tribute to a friend

Bruce Hunter had a rapier wit, and wasn't afraid to speak his mind.  I remember sitting in meetings with him, saying things to our boss that I never thought anyone said to anyone's boss.  But he said them with such charm that he got away with it, nearly every time.  This endeared him to me, and told me that he was my kind of person, the kind I liked in a workplace.  Honest, professional, in touch with reality and not afraid to speak his mind.

I could go on with quite a few stories, but I have three things that I would like to note:

• He was my mentor.  He taught me the principles of design and how to  to create things that are beautiful and functional just through talking it through with me.  He stood up for me in ways I didn't expect, and I am forever grateful for.
• He was someone who changed the world in his own way.  He was a big part of the MAC Aids fund for a very long time, and he was part of the movement to revolutionize and change the face of LGBT communities....he did a lot of good through that foundation.
• He had joie de vivre.  He was a truly happy and to my eyes, a very full and complete person who knew who he was and knew how to enjoy life to the best of his ability.

After he retired from my workplace, we had a couple messages on Facebook here and there, but I never had the chance to go have a drink with him, or see him again after that.  It leaves somewhat of a sad feeling with me, of an opportunity missed.

Going to his funeral this week was hard.  It's harder still to realize this will happen more and more as I get older.  I myself am not afraid of dying, not in the usual way.  I am afraid of all the amazing things in life I will miss, but not of dying. It's moments like this where I think that some people are born with great souls, and that those great people are the beacons in our lives.  Bruce was one of them for me, even if it was only for a very short time.

Bruce, thank you for being in my life.  So many people at your funeral, I could tell, felt very similarly to me.  You touched people in ways you probably didn't even realize.  Thank you for being who you were....I wish more people could have known how wonderful you were.