Good-bye, Blanc

Just before New Year’s Eve we received the sad news that on December 3rd, 2022, our fellow forum member @Blanc died at the age of 46 after fighting for his life for two weeks in an intensive care unit in Passau, Germany.

@Blanc joined our little community only in May 2019 and quickly became one of its most respected members. With his unflappable composure and humor he knew how to calm even the most heated discussions and give them a positive spin. He never lost his temper, always had that smile that we all could feel shining through his words on the screen.

In real life @Blanc served as a medical doctor, steering his department tirelessly through the depths of the pandemic and his motorcycle through the mountainous landscape of Bavaria. I met him in person for lunch in Eggenfelden where he was just as liked and respected as he was here, which was easy to tell just by watching all the people greeting and talking to him everywhere we went.

Let us read this wonderful poem again, which @Blanc did not have the chance to read himself:

@Blanc wrote more than 3.500 post, gave 1.700 likes, and received 2.300. He signed out here for the last time on November 17, 2022.

Eric Böhnisch-Volkmann & the whole team

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That is truly miserable and upsetting news with which to start the new year. I shall miss him so much.

Stephen

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I am so sorry to hear this very sad news. @Blanc was such a help to me and had endless patience in trying to answer my question.
My kindest thoughts to his family and friends.

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Scheiße. Verdammte Drecksscheiße.

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I am speechless.
All the best to his friends and family!

He helped me numerous times in the last years, to the point that I thought him to be part of the company!

Of course, in these times, either Corona virus or Corona vaccine come to mind as cause of this.

How did it happen, that a forum or community would get knowledge of a death?
Certainly, my death would never be known …

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In his generous and thoughtful way, @Blanc left specific instructions with his family to let us know.

Our hearts are broken along with all of yours and his loss is surely resounding through this family, his family and friends, and those he served (and served with) in the medical field. :broken_heart::disappointed:

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Impressive.
Again.
Even when leaving :cry:

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How did it happen, that a forum or community would get knowledge of a death?

I met @Blanc in person this August (Eggenfelden is two hours from here) and we wanted to meet again this year in the Stuttgart area. So there is a connection that goes beyond this forum’s bounds.

Unfortunately we have no insight to share about the concrete circumstances of his death.

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Don’t know what to write. Really sad :disappointed:

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That is very sad news. Condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.

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May he rest in peace. He was knowledgeable and caring

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Very sad to hear that. Blanc was generous with his help, and nice with his manner. Condolences to his family.l

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That is very sad news indeed. @Blanc has given so much of his time, knowledge and humanity to this community. I will miss his presence here. RIP.

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Very sad indeed

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So sorry to hear this. I will pray for peace and healing for his family. He was such a help to so many here and I’m sure he was the same way offline. A great loss to us all.

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Oh sh1t. such sad news and to be taken so young. My thoughts are with his family. Such a sad loss. RiP.

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This is such sad news. My deepest condolences to his family, friends, colleagues, and medical patients. His virtual presence here was a benefit to the community in these forums, and I can only imagine how much more keenly his loss will affect his real-life community.

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@Blanc was the epitome of what makes a wonderful tech community: warm, knowledgeable, generous, bipartisan, insightful. For a long time I thought he must be an employee: but no, just a kind person who gave his help freely. I will sorely miss his frequent and helpful contributions. The DT forum is one of the most supportive tech communities I have seen in 30 years of internet access, and a lot of that is down to @Blanc. RIP.

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Very sad news. So young!

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Very sad to hear this. What a wonderful and kind person we will miss. RIP @Blanc

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