Good bye, my friend

This morning, as I sat at my computer and read through a contract, a co-worker came busting through saying "You haven’t heard yet?".  Uh?

She was crying. Hystrically.

A collegue, who we are all very fond of, was found dead this morning.  On the sidewalk, with his dogs leash still in his hands.

Heart Attack.

46 years old.

Just like that.

Now, we’ve had a death here at the clinic before.  A transcriptionist had a heart attack and died at her desk.  A (favorite) Radiologist committed suicide 2 years ago. 

What is different this time is that Jim was my friend.  We had grown quite close this last year.  In fact, I had 2 meetings with him yesterday.

On Tuesday he sat in my office and we joked about giving sex toys as gag gifts.  And now he’s gone.

Cindy and Rhinder where very close to him.  In fact they had dinner at his house just this last Monday night.

I’m in shock. Abosolute shock.

We are planning a huge marketing event, The Open House, in March.

It was his baby.  Today we had a tasting with the caterer.  When the big skewers of shrimp came out, I started to cry.

Jim had insisted we have shrimp.  I kept thinking "God, I wish Jim was here.  He would really enjoy this."

Jim has worked here for 24 years.  Started as a courier.  He wore a suite everyday, even then.

Today, he held the position of Director of Marketing and holds an MBA.  He did it all on his own.

Jim had a heart condition.  It was heretiary (sp?).  His Dad died of it in his 30s.  His two brothers, both died of it. One of them was celebrating his 18th birthday. 

So, it wasn’t a suriprise that it finally got him.  Well actually it is.  One brother dying at 18, the other at 26.  He thought he had beaten it.

I’m rambling and sad.