My Friend
Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2014 1:24 pm
Well, not just a friend. He was also like a mentor.
I first met Fritz in 1998 when I was working at a Nissan dealer as a technician. He had been a 20 year veteran of the automotive repair industry and we quickly became friends. He was into some of the same stuff I was, even though he was about 10 years older then I. Later, we both decided about the same time that we were getting out of fixing cars and into IT. He went to a technical training school to learn to become a sysadmin, I went back to college to complete a degree to become a developer.
In 2001, I was laid off from my first IT job but Fritz was able to get me a job working on a big IT contract job he was on. I didn't get to see a whole lot of him because we worked in different areas, but it was nice to be working together again.
A few years later, once again when I needed a job he just happened to be working at a place where they needed someone, and once again, he got me in. It was at that job I learned the new skills that put me where I am now. He is definitely the person most directly responsible for the role and skills I have now.
Yesterday, my friend and mentor died of throat cancer. He never smoked or chewed tobacco... It was probably the chemicals and nastiness from working on cars for so long.
I went and saw him on Sunday, at his home in Annapolis. Being in that room was just like being back in my mom's room at the nursing home near the end, and I knew it would be soon, just didn't realize just how soon.
I'm really tired of the word 'cancer' right about now.
I first met Fritz in 1998 when I was working at a Nissan dealer as a technician. He had been a 20 year veteran of the automotive repair industry and we quickly became friends. He was into some of the same stuff I was, even though he was about 10 years older then I. Later, we both decided about the same time that we were getting out of fixing cars and into IT. He went to a technical training school to learn to become a sysadmin, I went back to college to complete a degree to become a developer.
In 2001, I was laid off from my first IT job but Fritz was able to get me a job working on a big IT contract job he was on. I didn't get to see a whole lot of him because we worked in different areas, but it was nice to be working together again.
A few years later, once again when I needed a job he just happened to be working at a place where they needed someone, and once again, he got me in. It was at that job I learned the new skills that put me where I am now. He is definitely the person most directly responsible for the role and skills I have now.
Yesterday, my friend and mentor died of throat cancer. He never smoked or chewed tobacco... It was probably the chemicals and nastiness from working on cars for so long.
I went and saw him on Sunday, at his home in Annapolis. Being in that room was just like being back in my mom's room at the nursing home near the end, and I knew it would be soon, just didn't realize just how soon.
I'm really tired of the word 'cancer' right about now.
