My colleague and friend Berit died, after a sudden illness, on September 20. She was delightfully enthusiastic, always excited to learn new things, and more than happy to pass that excitement and enthusiasm on to others. I will miss her sorely, as a friend, as a wonderful colleague, as a sister in scheming things textile to do, and as a companion for having that celebratory cake and coffee after a conference we attended together. There's an obituary linked to on this site from her uni.
I still cannot believe it. We had plans to do things together, and I had plans to visit her when I'd be up north next, and now she's just... gone. Go give your loved ones a hug, and your friends a call. Life is fragile, and there is no guarantee you'll have them next year.