We at UP Media are, of course, very sad and distressed to hear the news of of our former colleague Jerry Murray's passing.

Jerry worked for UPMG and its predecessors for more than 20 years. I came late to that party, but I worked with Jerry for five years and think of him every day. As a matter of fact, just before I received the news that he had died, at age 82, I was making plans for coming to San Diego for the IPC Apex show, and I was thinking about where to meet him.

I think of Jerry almost every day, and I am so sorry that he's gone. He was one of a kind, in the best of ways. Who else had a life like his? He lived in the hottest places on earth and the coldest places on earth. He wrote and wrote and wrote some more: technical, pulp fiction, you name it. He married the love of his life, Suzie, one of the kindest persons I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. He was funny and warm and cranky and quirky, sometimes all at once. He knew so much about so many things and was always happy to share it. He had a great life. I'm glad I came along in time to share a little piece of it.

I will be sad, and will cry and mourn my friend. But today I'm just glad he got to live the life most of us dream of.

RIP, my friend.