I just learned that my friend Vince Chew was hit by a car and killed in Germany, where he's been living and working for a national sports council. I went to business school with Vince. We graduated over ten years ago now and he organized the reunion. He was one of those hyper-involved people.
He spent much of his career working abroad in music and sports, his two great passions. He was one of those gifted people who managed to marry his passions with his work and as a result he loved life, maybe more than most. Vince really seemed to know how to live, and he had a great and constant sense of humour. Had he known what was coming, I doubt he would have had much to regret, other than his great life's brevity. He wasn't a close friend, we hadn't kept in touch much, but seeing him at the reunion reminded me of how much I really, sincerely liked Vince, and actually admired him and the choices he made. He lived an incredible amount of life in only 32 years, and I was deeply saddened to hear that he's gone. There just aren't enough people like him.
He was also kind and giving. At the time of the reunion I had only just returned to Halifax and was trying to make my way as a writer here. At no prompting from me Vince said he knew the editor at The Coast and offered to put me in touch with him. Many months later when I won the competition for the Sustainable Columnist job I emailed Vince to let him know of my good fortune and he gave me an enthusiastic congratulations, said he was stoked for me.
So with Vince and his connections to The Coast in mind, here are my two latest stories, one about a surfer-musician (I think Vince would have enjoyed that topic) and one about some political hopefuls. Click on the pictures to see them. And here's to Vince!
He spent much of his career working abroad in music and sports, his two great passions. He was one of those gifted people who managed to marry his passions with his work and as a result he loved life, maybe more than most. Vince really seemed to know how to live, and he had a great and constant sense of humour. Had he known what was coming, I doubt he would have had much to regret, other than his great life's brevity. He wasn't a close friend, we hadn't kept in touch much, but seeing him at the reunion reminded me of how much I really, sincerely liked Vince, and actually admired him and the choices he made. He lived an incredible amount of life in only 32 years, and I was deeply saddened to hear that he's gone. There just aren't enough people like him.
He was also kind and giving. At the time of the reunion I had only just returned to Halifax and was trying to make my way as a writer here. At no prompting from me Vince said he knew the editor at The Coast and offered to put me in touch with him. Many months later when I won the competition for the Sustainable Columnist job I emailed Vince to let him know of my good fortune and he gave me an enthusiastic congratulations, said he was stoked for me.
So with Vince and his connections to The Coast in mind, here are my two latest stories, one about a surfer-musician (I think Vince would have enjoyed that topic) and one about some political hopefuls. Click on the pictures to see them. And here's to Vince!
3 comments:
Sorry to hear about your friend. I hope his family is handling things OK.
me too, Charles.
if anyone's looking for that surfer-musician-environmentalist story the link works now. Just click the picture of the surfer dude.
Post a Comment