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Sir,

It was an incredible shock to receive the news of the death of my good friend Daniel Marchac. Although I knew that he was struggling with medical problems, it was not possible to contemplate losing him so soon. When we were together in June he was as feisty, good humored, and as much fun to be with as he has always been.

I first met Daniel a considerable number of years ago during one of my visits to Paul Tessier. At that time, we were both struggling with the new specialty of Craniofacial Surgery and there was much to discuss. After that, we met many times over the years as colleagues and friends. We shared our ideas and problems and discussed how to advance the specialty and organize a training program for younger surgeons eager to learn about this area of expertise.

Daniel’s contribution to all fields of plastic surgery has been immense. His curriculum vitae and details of all his accomplishments and publications will be very well documented in these months following his death. With this letter to the journal, I will also be publishing a beautiful obituary from the Indian Association of Plastic Surgery and so my tribute to Daniel will be a truly personal one.

Daniel was a man whose integrity and credibility were unassailable. He was enthusiastic in all aspects of his life both professionally and personally. He had a great sense of humor, he was a compassionate man, and he was a passionate man. He never tired in his efforts to push out the boundaries of surgery. Daniel was also a thoughtful man and a caring man. He was a teacher who shared his knowledge, his experience, his ideas, and his technical expertise with his students and indeed helped many of these young men to travel to other parts of the world to develop their own talent—he was not a selfish man. His influence and teaching will remain with these surgeons throughout their careers in surgery.

My wife Marjorie and I send our deepest sympathy and love to Daniel’s wife Nina, to his children, and to all his family. I hope that time will bring to them the peace and ability to remember and treasure their memories of Daniel.

For me, he was a respected colleague and a much loved friend. It was much too soon to lose him.