Thank you very much, Ben!
You know, it's always a pity to lose a good person as our friend was, always ready to help.
In this concrete case, I think it would be way tougher for my husband to go through this loss, as he was one of the colleagues (who become a friend) who was there on day one when my husband started to work. And when private and professional life become so tidily intertwined, and that lasts for almost 30 years, it's not easy if even possible to erase it just like that and overnight. Surely, not at all an easy "pill" to swallow for my husband.