At the death of Richard Sommers
I am still
shell-shocked by the sudden death of Richard Sommers. I have known him for 10 years and
just last week while on his journey through Europe we were planning for a
dinner in Amsterdam. The first date was cancelled and we were texting and
calling about a new date later that week. He never returned my last call – now
I know why…
I first met
Richard at the Homestore office at Westlake Village when I just set up a Real
Estate Classified website. We clicked immediately – both very passionate and
ambitious about our work. He was tremendous intelligent and gave me al those
years crucial advise. You could feel his presents and when he laughed (which he
did a lot) it was a real laugh, a thunder :-)
Over the
years we keep on seeing each other all around the globe at different events a
couple of times a year. Next to that he was coming over to Amsterdam and I to
San Francisco at least once a year. Always having dinner at the very best
restaurants, drinking the best wines and he most of the times ordering a double
main course. At Acquarello, Michael Mina, La Rive, Le Ciel Blue.
During his
tenure at Classifieds Ventures he ask me to join the Board of Advisors which I
did gladly and after I was fired by my board at my own company years later he
directly offered me a job at Zip – which I declined – but not after
contemplating how much fun and interesting that would have been: being in a
team with Richard.
The
following years we keep on making plans of starting a business together
somehow. Last time about a web based Health Company. It a pity that we never
could make that happen Richard – it would have been a blast!
So full of
sweet memories I think of you Richard, I will never forget you – you really
changed my life. Thanks.
