30, April 2011
For those who do not know how Emil died, it happened while he was skiing with his brother Erich and a friend in La Molina, a resort in the Spanish Pyrinees. After a few hours of skiing and apparently feeling great, he collapsed at the end of a ski run. Although his brother and medics were immediately on the scene trying for 45 minutes to resuscitate him, there was nothing they could do. He apparently died from sudden cardiac arrest and most likely didn't even know what hit him, it happened so fast. (For more info on SCA: www.sca-aware.org/about-sca).
I am comforted in knowing he did not suffer as it was so sudden, and he was doing what he loved, with someone he loved, his brother.
I know many of you were unable to attend the funeral on April 2nd as it happened so quickly. I barely made it myself, having flown in the day before from Oregon with my 16-month-old daughter, Emilia (leaving my almost 4-year-old boy, Evan, and husband, Noel, at home). It was a beautiful ceremony in the forested hills of the Collserola, near where he was last living in Sant Cugat, Spain. Perhaps 80 or so people attended. Some family members gave speeches. A choir sang. All placed a flower on his coffin at the end.
He had always said he wanted to be cremated and have his ashes spread over Mont Blanc in the Alps, so his wishes will one day be granted. For now, some of his ashes are with his sister's in a coastal town's cemetary near Barcelona (Arenys de Mar) and some will be dispersed in Henley-on-Thames, England and Albany, Oregon by his immediate family.
He will be deeply missed. It is so tragic that his life was ended at such a young age (66), right when he was feeling perhaps his best, and with so much yet to savor in life. He was freshly semi-retired from Esade and Henley Business Schools, planning on spending time with his relatives in Spain and daughters and grandchildren in England and Oregon, and getting lots of projects done like organizing his photos and scanning his slides.
Luckily he lived his years to their fullest, rich with adventure and learning. I leave you with a comforting thought: the week before his passing he told his niece, Elisabeth, that when he thought of his life, he couldn't complain. He had lived it fully, enjoying so much of what he had experienced - travels, work, people he loved and was loved by - and has three daughters who are settled and happy in their relationships. What more could he ask for?
Thanks for sharing that, Papa!
For those who do not know how Emil died, it happened while he was skiing with his brother Erich and a friend in La Molina, a resort in the Spanish Pyrinees. After a few hours of skiing and apparently feeling great, he collapsed at the end of a ski run. Although his brother and medics were immediately on the scene trying for 45 minutes to resuscitate him, there was nothing they could do. He apparently died from sudden cardiac arrest and most likely didn't even know what hit him, it happened so fast. (For more info on SCA: www.sca-aware.org/about-sca).
I am comforted in knowing he did not suffer as it was so sudden, and he was doing what he loved, with someone he loved, his brother.
I know many of you were unable to attend the funeral on April 2nd as it happened so quickly. I barely made it myself, having flown in the day before from Oregon with my 16-month-old daughter, Emilia (leaving my almost 4-year-old boy, Evan, and husband, Noel, at home). It was a beautiful ceremony in the forested hills of the Collserola, near where he was last living in Sant Cugat, Spain. Perhaps 80 or so people attended. Some family members gave speeches. A choir sang. All placed a flower on his coffin at the end.
He had always said he wanted to be cremated and have his ashes spread over Mont Blanc in the Alps, so his wishes will one day be granted. For now, some of his ashes are with his sister's in a coastal town's cemetary near Barcelona (Arenys de Mar) and some will be dispersed in Henley-on-Thames, England and Albany, Oregon by his immediate family.
He will be deeply missed. It is so tragic that his life was ended at such a young age (66), right when he was feeling perhaps his best, and with so much yet to savor in life. He was freshly semi-retired from Esade and Henley Business Schools, planning on spending time with his relatives in Spain and daughters and grandchildren in England and Oregon, and getting lots of projects done like organizing his photos and scanning his slides.
Luckily he lived his years to their fullest, rich with adventure and learning. I leave you with a comforting thought: the week before his passing he told his niece, Elisabeth, that when he thought of his life, he couldn't complain. He had lived it fully, enjoying so much of what he had experienced - travels, work, people he loved and was loved by - and has three daughters who are settled and happy in their relationships. What more could he ask for?
Thanks for sharing that, Papa!
I don't know why I suddenly thought to look up Emil after so long. I suppose Facebook encourages us to look up old friends. I was saddened to hear of his passing. I met Emil in our 1% for Development days when we all worked in UN organizations and gave 1% of our salaries to development projects. He was so committed to everything he did, and full of life, and passing while skiing is certainly the way he would have wanted to go. I remember a group of us went skiing near Geneva and he spent most of the afternoon looking for his daughter (Maya I think) and finally joined up with us at the end of the day. Some people live shorter, intense lives, and I'm sure he's around his family and watching over them.
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