One of many rules of life.
Like you can't push a rope.

People die. Life changes.

Our Mill Engineering Manager died suddenly a few days ago. He was only 42. In top fitness shape. He was a bike rider. Had really been into it for the last 10 years. He road his bike back and forth to work every day, all year round.

It was a total surprise to everyone....including his wife and two young children 9 and 12.

Just dropped over, while riding his bike. His heart stopped. Coincidently, just as he fell off his bike, an ambulance was driving by and stopped. They immediately assessed his situation and gave him the paddles but couldn't get his heart going again.

He was more than a partner and workmate. He was a personal friend. It really hurts.

Things will change with his family. :(
Things will change now at work. :?

Sorry to hear of your loss Paul, truly an awful thing to have happen, and worse that he left behind his family as well.
Its an eye-opener of such when something like that happens.

I'm sorry to hear you loss.

that really is something about life, it really doesn't matter who you are, what you do, you can die or be killed for no fault of your own...instantly. Sad stuff.

Wow! That is so sad!!! I hope he had some life insurance so his wife and kids won't go through the additional hardship financially also.

Hearing this always makes me think of people who are on the fitness craze. People like Jim Fixx-athlete, Jackie Joyner Kersey (sp?)- athlete, Euwel Gibbons (sp?)- nature nut from way back when..... they all died living a very healthy lifestyle. It is odd that someone like George Burns could smoke and drink every day and live to be what 100 years old yet someone who takes care of themself and never smoked gets lung cancer or something else and dies in the prime of life.

In my younger day I didn't think I would live to see 40 because I was so wild, yet here I am today 40 and thankful for each day.

A tragedy like your friend/co-worker makes me reflect on life and how precious each moment is. Have I told my friends what they mean to me? Do my loved ones know how much I love them?

We never know when our time will come to leave this world and we need to be ready.

Paul I am so sorry for you loss. When you lose someone who was so young and to have a him die so fast is very hard. You are in our thoughts and in our prayers.

Sorry to hear it Paul.

With a issue like this, life really is TRULY unpredictable.

I'm very sorry to hear about your friend. Reality bites. Makes you want to go hug all your friends and family doesn't it?

I can relate to grief too. Last June, my oldest son, 22 years old, had just started his internship and graduate school at the University of Southern Florida in Tampa. He went in an outing to the Rainbow River in Ocala to do tubing. The tube flipped and he drowned. My ex-wife, never allowed him to learn to swim since she was afraid of the water. He had finished a dual degree in Math and Computer Science with a 3.89 GPA in May. It looks like peer pressure and embarrasment to tel the group he could not swim cost him his life. His other friends saw him flip in the tube and thought he was playing around, so they ignored him and continued paddling down the river until a guy in a Kayak noticed a body in the water 30 minutes later.

As a father, you never expect to outlive your children. So, make sure your loved ones know, or learn to swim.