When I checked my voicemail Saturday morning, there was but one message: a friend telling me of Al Doyle’s passing. As I listened to those words, it was as if the world ground to a halt around me. For while I only knew Al for a little over a year, I will still mourn the loss of this truly remarkable man.

There are those people who are nothing short of legends. Their list of accomplishments so long it seems unfathomable that any one person could have done so much in just one lifetime; the number of lives they have touched in their years on this earth, too many to count. Even before I met him, I knew that Al fell into the category. Once I came to know him, I learned quickly that he was also a man of humor, honor and commitment, as well as a true gentleman. I am so glad that, while the opportunity was brief, I had the chance to know him.