Forrest, we will miss you

Dear Forrest,

My first direct interaction with you was during a firefighting. Five minutes into the meeting, I was completely impressed by you. I was so amazed by your ability to detangle a messy situation, going straight to the heart of the problem, and quickly directing the team to the solution. We are successfully because of people like you!

It is unfortunate not able to attend your memorial service due to travel, but I will be thinking of you, thinking of your brilliance, your warm smile, your sense of humor, and even your mischievous look after you and B. took a spin on highway 280 in your highly-molidified Porsche…

We will miss you!

Lili

Farewell, Forrest ­ and see you around

Farewell, Forrest – and see you around

I’ve known Forrest for the past couple of years….although I would have liked that, can’t say I was a close friend….but can truly say that he did have a big impact on me and I will miss him.

From the get go Forrest had this fantastic combination of being focused and at the same time friendly. Open and super straight-forward. No games, no nonsense but really personal. Serious when he needed to be but always ready for a funny comment – and always with that sparkle in his eyes. A genuinely likeable person.

I was never surprised to get a call from Forrest for input&ideas for direction of our joint activities – and it never surprised me that Forrest would always accept my calls when I needed advice or help. He seemed to have infinite patience and wanting to get the best out of the people he worked with. I for one benefitted greatly from this. I wish there could be a way of repaying him.

Last time we met he talked about his family and the decisions he had made to give even more focus to what was most important to him in life – the love of his family, his kids and his wife. It seems almost unbearable that he was not allowed more time….but what I would imagine is typical Forrest – and much to the contrary of many of us that never get to it – he followed through on his plans. He was committed and we could all learn from this.

So, farewell Forrest, and see you around. I really look forward to it.

Best

Christian

Christian Tang-Jespersen

Goodbye Forrest

Dear Forrest

You were only at x for a short time, but you made a huge impression, through your brilliance and kindness. Every Monday when I wandered into the office you were at the desk next to mine, smiling and asking me how my weekend was. We talked about our families and what our kids were doing, how you were spending less time on a plane these days, you told me to get more help when things were stressful after my second child was born. Small things, but real life. You cared so much about your family and those around you.

Your smile will live on, wherever you are now.

Obi