Kris...

Kris Shah's recent death after a short illness completely stunned me when I heard about it.

It must be at least 15 years since I first met Kris. Working then for a university spin-off, it was inevitable our paths would cross. I spent a fair time zipping-in-and-out of a shared computer room. Kris' gentle sense of humour often helped sort what seemed pressing issues at the time; lack of resources and network capacity. Kris always had time to hear me.

Our chats were not just about fibre optic cables - they soon become philosophical. I was not as patient with the university; Kris had a more relaxed view. He accepted easier than me that a bigger ship would take longer to turn. When a director's job became available, I urged him to apply. I'm not sure if he did. Maybe the mandatory daily lunchtime at a bar - which seemed an intrinsic part of that job - didn't appeal to him.

When someone once mistook me for Kris and discussed at great length, a meeting they had been to earlier, I told him about it. We wondered how long we could carry on this interchangeability before anyone noticed. At his funeral, someone asked me if I was Kris' brother. Although I said no, the broader answer is yes. When Kris once remarked that I dressed "like a student", I countered with:"...well, it's better than dressing like an old man...."  Kris was definitely like a brother.

I miss him a lot more than I'll probably write about. At his funeral, I felt we celebrated a life well-lived, rather than mourn a sad loss.

Rest in peace, Kris. Huge respect.