I never thought that I would be up here speaking at Dr. Fu’s memorial service. I thought that he would outlive me with his unparalleled energy, passion for life and commitment to excellence. But, here I am.

This is certainly the hardest speech that I have ever had to give. How do you talk about such an honourable man who has captured so many hearts and touched countless lives? I recently reached out to several of his colleagues, former residents and fellows to share some of their stories with me.

Everyone had so many touching stories about Dr. Fu. The stories seem to centre around his wit, his determination, his incredible memory, his unstoppable energy and his fun-loving personality, but most of them are centred around on his “Joie De Vivre” or love of life!

He emanated vehemence for everything that he did. He loved his family first and foremost. His zest was infectious. You could not help but feel his commitment and love of his family, life, science, photography, people, his patients, the arts, good food, great wine, fast cars and flashy clothes. I have never met somebody with a heart so big that he could love so much. Yet, family was always his number one.

Dr. Fu has performed tens of thousands of surgeries and has trained thousands of fellows all over the world. All of his apprentices have similar stories. He worked us hard, had very high expectations and wanted us to be available 24 × 7. We remember him calling us in the middle of the night with a great idea or a request to go to the top of Mount Washington to capture a photograph of the spectacular sunrise.

His aphorisms are famous and unforgettable. As his former fellow, Dr. Gloria Beim, recalls, he would always tell us, “don’t embarrass me in front of my visiting fellows! Just make it perfect!” We have all been striving for perfection since then, as to not let Freddie or our patients down.

It seems like wherever I go, I hear so many heartwarming stories about Dr. Fu. While I lived in Pittsburgh, I remember talking to random people in the airport, the grocery store, the hardware store, at the gas station, and the list goes on. When people found out where I worked, they would share delightful stories about Dr. Fu. Freddie did not care if you were a sports star, a coal miner or a politician. He treated everyone the same. I heard stories about how he stopped by their house after surgery to see them. Or, he gave them a ride home when their car broke down. Or, he remembered something special about them even many years after meeting them.

Chief of Sports Medicine at UPMC, Dr. Volker Musahl, said it perfectly. “Freddie had this gift to make everyone better, whether you were a student becoming a resident or a scientist becoming award winning. He was able to uplift anyone.” We all have the same story. He was able to positively affect each of our lives and made a difference, a suggestion, or a recommendation. People often felt that they were the most important person to him. He made each person feel special.

I can personally tell you that he was always there to give honest feedback. I could ask him for advice about how to be care for my baby, or how to manage a complex case or a difficult situation. Dr. Fu was not only a mentor, but he was a father to so many of us.

Freddie was so proud of the city and people of Pittsburgh. He would travel the world to exceptional places and brag about what an extraordinary city he lived in. His favourite thing to do was to invite people to come visit Pittsburgh, where he would personally share the history of the area, give them a tour and treat them like royalty.

Freddie had a special way of comforting a patient and instilling confidence in them. Long time athletic trainer and physical therapist at Pitt, Tony Salesi, remembers how Dr. Fu always gave the injured athletes the reassurance that they needed. “We fix it” was all that he needed to say to give the athlete the belief that they were in the best hands.

The sadness that we feel by Dr. Fu’s passing is a price we have to pay for having to get to know such an incredible man. He always quoted his mentor, Dr. Ferguson. “The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be lit.” At his last meeting with his colleagues, Dr. Fu told them “My hope is in the future of the department.”

During one of my last days with him, he told me not to be sad. He told me that he took advantage of every opportunity and lived life to the fullest. He told me that he had lived the American dream.

Andrea Badway, who has worked with Freddie for over 15 years helping him to implement his creative vision, shared with me a similar story. In her last few days with him, Dr. Fu also told her not to be sad and that he had lived a beautiful life, having had the privilege and joy to teach others on almost every continent. He asked that when we spoke about him, he wanted others to know…Thank YOU….Thank YOU….Thank YOU…always recognising those that were by his side along the way. He taught us how to live each and every day and also how to die with incredible dignity.

There is a quote by the author, Daisy Hinton Davis, that fits Dr. Fu perfectly. “Live long, Love hard, Learn to embrace life, Laugh out loud, and Leap into heaven dancing”.

There are some people who bring a light so great to this world that even after they are gone, the light still shines.

Dr. Fu. You have rocked our world, and we are all better people for it. So, I ask all of you to carry on his torch and his mission of excellence, equality and opportunity. Love your family and live life to the fullest.