Hank was always more than just a friend, he was a great mentor, foodie partner-in-crime and a wealth of information on all things technology related. He was also the adopted father of my best friend Erik, and even though our age gap was decades apart, we bonded instantly the first time we met at brunch over a decade ago when he visited Erik in Singapore.
Over the years and many regular phone chats, I had come to know Hank as a very caring father, a good friend with a sympathetic and patient ear, and who was sometimes a child at heart when the right topic came up (usually about gadgets, he was such a big nerd about all things Apple). He always had an opinion about the latest gadgets, and sometimes, we would even end up buying the same toys.
During the last couple of years, we started planning for foodie trips. Our first stop was to be Chicago, and after months of planning we met up in the fall of 2019 and had a memorable dinner at Alinea, together with his nephew Craig and his wife Tara. After that amazing trip, we talked about planning another foodie vacation the following year, but unfortunately, that was the last time I met him in person. Shortly after Chicago, he was diagnosed with cancer, and then Covid happened.
I remember our last conversation, a couple of months before he passed. He was in unusually good spirits, and we chatted for almost three hours. We talked about our usual topics, and about Erik at length, he was always worried about Erik’s well-being. He was an exemplary father, and even though they were in different parts of the world, their bond was very strong, they were both blessed to have had each other in their lives for so many years.
I will miss him terribly, and I am attaching a photo of Hank contemplating eating a balloon at Alinea below. I will never forget that amazing evening.