I was just informed that an old friend, Darren Bean, was killed a couple of months ago in a helicopter crash. Darren was a doctor and he was staffing a medical rescue helicopter in Wisconsin that went down just after they dropped off a patient.

Darren lived a few doors down from me in our dorm in college...I was his resident advisor and he was one of the two people from the dorm who I kept in touch with after the school year ended. But we have not been in touch for many years...the last time I saw Darren, we were both groomsmen for our mutual friend Steve.

Here is a news story about the incident. And an article on Darren. And here is a video of Darren's memorial, which was big--he was also the Medical Director for the Madison Fire Department, so he had the full honor guard, the bagpipers, etc. I think that having big memorial services for police, firefighters, military people, and medical professionals who die in the line of duty is very important, especially when children are left behind. Rudy Giuliani explained this when he tirelessly went to funeral after funeral after funeral of firefighters and police after September 11. Rudy said that it was so important that the children who were left behind understand how important their parent was; e.g., so important that the mayor of New York City came to the funeral.

The video is long, but if you are interested, the most compelling parts are the beginning with the bagpipers and the honor guard, and Darren's wife Stacy's statement (she is the third speaker and you can scroll ahead to her). If you can watch her speak without shedding a tear, perhaps you have ice water in your veins.

Despite not being particularly close to Darren, I think of him at least every time I go skiing, because many years ago, he gave me a pair of his old ski pants, which I still use. And I shall never forget his endless patience while teaching me how to fly-fish. We were on a river rafting trip, maybe the Tuolumne, and he taught me how to fly-fish (catch and release)...it was the first and only time I have ever been fly fishing...it was not pretty...I resembled the folks in "A River Runs Through It" in roughly the same manner as a elephant resembles a ballerina.

Darren was one of those rare folks who was genuinely friendly to just about all people, and treated everyone well. In the college dorm where we lived, I never heard a bad word spoken about him for the entire school year.

Given his ability to motivate people and positively touch lives, and given the line of work he was in (saving lives in crisis situations) the world is worse off without him in it.

The tragedy of his death is compounded by the fact that he and his wife had two small children and that Darren lost his own father in an airplane crash when Darren was 17 months old. I understand Darren's mom is still with us, which means that she has lost her husband and her son in separate aviation accidents. A strong woman, to endure both.

I am deeply saddened by Darren's death and the impact it has on his family, as well as by the fact that I didn't keep in touch with him. What a rare human being he was.

As if we needed another reminder, Darren's death underscores how precious life is, and how fragile. Perhaps in memory of Darren and the many lives he saved, give your loved ones an extra big hug tonight.