[Radar]

Sorry for your loss. 40 is very young. I should know. I'm 40.

My friend Bill Parker died a few years ago. We worked together and I always thought he was healthier than me. He was certainly in better shape than me.

He was the coach of his church basketball team, he also built and supported their computer lab, and ran their electronic sign. He is one of very few people I've ever known whom literally everyone who met him liked him. I've always envied that about him because most people feel the opposite way about me.... at least online.

I used to warn him a lot about putting his meat where he makes his bread. He loved dating the women at work, including those in the HR department which is dangerous. I remember when I was taken to the hospital from work with chest pains and I found out I had high blood pressure. Bill also had high blood pressure, but he was having sex with a few different women and the pills diminished his ability to perform well so he stopped taking them.

There were about 2,000 people at his funeral. He had 14 different pastors from other churches speak for him, and they had choir music, dancing, and even soul food after the funeral was over. I also spoke at his funeral and it was pretty frightening going on after 14 professional orators, but I did pretty well. Bill would have liked what I had to say.

He was only 42 when he died. Things were never the same after that. The job seemed less fun, and more like work. A lot of women were crying for weeks at the job. Bill's mom asked me to come to her house and clean out Bill's room because she said she'd never be able to throw anything of his away. It was an all day job. Bill was a pack rat.

I think about him from time to time and I miss him.