An absolutely amazing individual, and a true gift to have been able to work and know him better.First, a tremendously good sport. Not everyone can give up their daily work uniform for the past 30 years, just for team spirit. Actually, we all know it was because of Mama Cita, but that's another story.
Second, I've never seen anyone inhale an area culturally, in this case Alsace, like Jim. Not only did he find food and spirits in towns that probably aren't even on a map outside of Alsace, but he really enjoyed the french, he understood them better than any of us, and truly appreciated them. He liked the Germans too.
Third, an idiot savant when it came to learning french. Despite no background in it, he would amaze with vocabulary words three months after we had been there - I think one time he knew the french words for "silk damask draperies" - bizarre.
Fourth, an amazing ability to take a topic, like particle physics or Middle Eastern geopolitics, and reduce the main points down to index finger, middle finger, thumb. I figure if the Lilly thing doesn't work out, he could go be a strategic policy analyst for the State Department or Pentagon.
Before I forget . . . thanks for the leftovers (50 half opened bottles of alcohol) - Patrick Emanuel and Daniel Prieto are salivating. I'm thinking team building event for all of semi-finished manufacturing, but I'm afraid it would affect the World's Insulin supply.
And finally, Jim said several times that we were the finest group of AE's the GBIP project has ever had, but he forgot to mention that the main reason was because we had the finest leader (yes, I know merit reviews are done for the year - you little twits).
