It was Darren Hooker’s anniversary of his passing recently (22nd January 2016) and unfortunately, another one of my work colleagues (Paul Foster) has gone to join him upstairs only a couple of weeks ago.
The last time I saw Darren we met at the Crown and Treaty for a last beer and say goodbye to each other. He was tough and kind at the same time, a very special person that I am very happy to have met and called my friend. I miss him but nothing like his family does.
Paul loved the CAT as well and I had a few beers and parties with him over there. I knew Paul for something like 20 years of my 26 years at Xerox. The scary thing is that when I met Paul he had already done 26 years of Company !!!….yes 46 years in Total. He was a character that everybody loved.
I remember that when I left Xerox and walked to all the desks to say goodbye to people the only desk where I got emotional was when I saw him and he said it was the wrong way round for me to go before him…
Although it is very sad that he will not be able to enjoy a long retirement which he definitely deserved, Xerox was everything to him and many of us loved him very much like family.
I like to think that Darren is showing his old mate Paul the best places up in the heavens.
