"A close friend of mine was killed last July in a freak train accident. His was the house where you could drop by anytime and there would always be people there to talk to or play a game of tennis with. When he died, I lost more than just him; I felt like I lost a whole group of friends. They're still around, but I don't see them much anymore. He left a big gap in the lives of a lot of people. He was the glue that held us all together."