So sorry. Honor him by sharing what he taught you.

That's a loss at any age but the sorrow I feel is about the years he should have had that he didn't get. He's gone and in a blink of cosmic time we will all be gone. Remember him and honor that memory by being the teacher to someone else.

It appears that he attained immortality through you. Your memories of him will keep him alive through your lifetime, and if you manage to let others know, they will carry a bit of him with them too. Loss is always hard, but we persevere and do honor to our fallen with our lives.

I would bet he enjoyed your interactions as much as you did. Sending hugs.

So sorry for the loss of a unique individual...at so young an age too..

Sorry to hear of your loss. As has been stated, your memories will keep him alive.

Dang! Way too young. I'm very sorry for your loss. He sounds like a great man.

As someone who has grieved major losses both with and without religion, I would not say that religion provides the better experience, and certainly not any instant relief. If you believe there's an afterlife and are willing to tell yourself you'll see them again, I suppose that takes the edge off in some ultimate sense, sort of like when an adult spanks a child and says "this hurts me more than it does you" ... you don't really believe that, and it doesn't change the fact that you're going to be just as spanked as you would be without the platitudes.

Believers are just as inconsolable as anyone, on balance, when someone they are truly close to -- a spouse, a child, a sibling -- dies. The loss is every bit as biting and immediate. The person who has been a part of your daily life, isn't part of it anymore, and you're obliged to figure out how to do without. A gaping hole in your life that just minutes or hours or days before, was unthinkable.

You might reframe that .think of the incredinleimpact they had on you.

Sorry for your loss

I hope that the rest of your coworkers will be as good as he was.

I'm sorry for your loss. Hang in there fellow atheist.

If you feel that Religion has prevented you from being sad, compassionate, respectful of the dead and unable to point out the good that this man has done, then things are really bad. I am sure that this is not the case and that you have it in you to find a way to point out the real worth of people, particularly in the science and learning field. That is certainly what Humanism is about and all of us have some of that within us - it just needs recognizing.

My sympathy to you on the loss of your incredible friend. Everyone dies, but it's harder to take when it seems to happen prematurely. Hang in there. Honor his memory by emulating his constant search for knowledge.

My condolences..

What a sad loss at such a young age. He obviously made a big impression on you, and in that he has left a legacy. Be thankful that he was in your life, and that he passed on some of his knowledge and wisdom to you. We are stronger than we think, and by remembering and keeping his memory in your heart, you will feel no need for delusional thoughts of him passing to another life. His life was here on earth, and he made a difference to your life and no doubt the lives of others, that is real not fantasy. Celebrate his life and don’t mourn that he has gone, just be glad you knew him and that should give you all the feel-good you need without the artificial crutch of religion.

If he had a family,stories of working together will bring them peace,a side not seen by them.

Sorry for your friend's loss. Nice that he shared his knowledge with you.

I don't think the goal should be to feel good. The focus should be on feeling what you feel. If you felt numb, then that's an indication that something is really wrong. If you feel sad, then that indicates you really cared.

His personality sounded wonderful!!! Just try to keep his memory alive and remember the happy times.

It would seem at least one old saying is true;the good die young?

He sounds like a great guy. Wish we all could have met him. Always remember him.

I feel your grief and am sorry for your loss. As far as "Religion definitely has a monopoly on instant feel good after loss", take it for what it is. False hope. Take hope in the fact that no one knows what is beyond this.

I'm so sorry for your loss.

?