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It is with a heavy heart that I'm announcing the passing of a member of the Newsvine community, a friend to many and a thoughtful poster, Martin Westenfelder.
Martin was the father to two young daughters and was married to Julia Gil Ramos, whom he loved well and unabashedly proclaimed his passion for in treacly Facebook postings. They lived together in Spain, his wife's country and his adopted home, and enjoyed a comfortable life with friends and relatives.
The following came from messages from Ms. Gil Ramos over a social web site. They are translated from the Spanish.
On April 24, while they were visiting friends, Martin was stricken unexpectedly. He was brought to an emergency room, but had slipped into a coma. And though they had hoped that since he was so young he might stand a chance at recovery, he never awakened and slipped away some three days later on April 27 of a cerebral hemorrhage. Suffice it to say, it was a completely unexpected event and the family is still recovering from the shock of losing a loved one so suddenly. It is a very difficult time for the wife and daughters, and his relatives, friends and colleagues.
Over the years, we Viners have gotten to see but a mere glimpse of the lives of our far-flung friends. Martin, who hailed from Germany, had been a vocal political critic, and no doubt became embroiled in a few controversies here. Indeed, I recall him being miffed at a comment I'd once made. (He thought I had taken a swipe at Germans. He was quick to defend his national honor, and I assured him I meant no offense by my general comment.) And though I never had the pleasure of meeting Martin, I knew him to be a thoughtful, intelligent man (who spoke and understood German, English and Spanish), and I enjoyed reading his comments and sharing my thoughts with him.
Martin was born October 3, 1965 and hailed from Jugenheim An Der Bergstrasse, Hessen, Germany. He attended the European School of Luxembourg high school and graduated in '83. He later went on to the University of Frankfurt, graduating in '92. From appearances, he thrived in his career and I have little doubt he was esteemed and valued by his colleagues. I imagine they were as shocked to hear of his untimely passing as we now are.
Martin was there through several years as the Vine became entangled in certain controversies. He did not join the Exodus which saw the departure of some vital bloggers. He chose to remain a faithful member of our humble community.
No doubt, there will be those who strongly disagreed with some of Martin's views. I'm asking that any harsh feelings be put aside for now. Let us reflect on our own mortality. Let us mourn the passing of a friend and a (relatively) young man who is gone too soon, aged 44.
I will monitor this memorial and delete any comments which are disrespectful to the memory of our friend and fellow Newsviner.
Mr. Martin Westenfelder, may you rest in peace. I treasure the the brief time we got to correspond and share with one another. You shall be missed.
