Email Messages following the death of David Lambert

Ruth,
It is so wonderful that you are dedicating this issue of AJFAND to our dear friend David. When the call came to me on that Friday afternoon ( U.N. World Food Day) that he was gone, my first reaction was that it could not be true. I had just talked to him the evening before in the lobby of the Marriott Hotel following our World Food Prize award ceremony. As always, he was effusive in his praise and overflowing in his passion for the mission that unites us all. Despite being overwhelmed with grief, it fell to me to contact his son Walker with the tragic news. Several days later as we prepared for our final good bye to David in Iowa, I remarked to Walker and his brother Taylor, that if their Dad might have scripted his departure from this life, it likely would have been very similar to what had actually occurred: David died on the day dedicated to ending hunger, established by the UN agencies in Rome at which he had served, at the event in Iowa that he so admired and considered the "Nobel of Food", surrounded by friends and colleagues from Washington and other world capitals, enjoying good food and wine, and brimming over with happiness at the prospect of the birth of his first grandchild.
Amb. Kenneth Quinn
Ambassador Kenneth M. Quinn (ret.)
President, The World Food Prize
Kenneth M Quinn <kquinn@worldfoodprize.org>

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Dear Friends of David

I am delighted Ruth is devoting a special issue of AJFAND to his memory. It is a very fitting tribute.

I did not know David well. But we chatted, mostly at the WFP, on many occasions.
He was a wise, considerate man with a balanced optimistic view of the world. I have learnt much more about him from the many tributes.

My regret is that I did not sit with him and you Dan that evening in the Capitol as we had planned.

Warm wishes

Gordon
Conway, Gordon R <g.conway@imperial.ac.uk>

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Dan please share this with his family since I cannot be at the SERVICE..
We sat with Catherine Bertini, Alesha Black, Dan and David in the lobby after the AWARD ceremony, laughing away and him telling us how he was looking forward to his first grandchild.He looked very happy, sounded upbeat and socialized so well with us. He was to send me the paper he had presented in a side event to publish in AJFAND, as I had done last year's.
My sincere and heartfelt condolences and prayers go to his family. I had come to know David as a witty, intelligent, caring and selfless human being who wrote so eloquently and simplified complicated concepts
especially on biotechnology. I am still in shock. I hope we can make family know what a special person their dad/ loved one was outside of family circles. We feel for you and pray that you get through this.
Thank you for including me in this communication.
God bless and comfort.
Ruth...David's friend from Kenya.
Prof Ruth K. Oniango <oniango@iconnect.co.ke>

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Ruth,

The service was a wonderful memorial with a few hundreds of David's friends and family. There was a church-filling turn-out followed by Prosecco Lamberti - another touching reminder of the life he enjoyed with friends and colleagues.

Hoping that you are well,

Marsha
marsha echols< howardprofessor@gmail.com>

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Yes, Ruth -

All that Lesly says is very true. The church was overflowing with hundreds and hundreds of people who came to pay their respects. There were tears, but there was also great joy knowing that David touched so many lives and his legacy carries on. During one of the tributes, someone said that David carried the sunshine with him, and that is so true. I know we all will miss our friend.

Love and peace.

Nabeeha

Nabeeha Mujeeb Kazi
President & CEO
Humanitas Global
Nabeeha Kazi <kazin@humanitasglobal.com>

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Dear Colleagues,
I wanted to let you know that at the Board for International Food and Agricultural Development public meeting at Purdue this week, BIFAD Chair Brady Deaton spoke about Dave and asked for a moment of silence in memory of him. We were all very moved by this and wish his family the best during this difficult time.

Take care,
Susan

Susan Owens
Acting Office Director
Executive Director, BIFAD
USAID/BFS/ARP
Susan Owens <sowens@usaid.gov>

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The Hunger Solutions Institute paid a tribute to David in its latest newsletter. As noted below, the 11th annual summit of Universities Fighting World Hunger will be dedicated to his memory.

He will always be missed.

Lucyna Kurtyka
lucyna kurtyka <lucynakurtyka11@gmail.com>

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Marshall,
Thank you for a beautiful dedication to David. Your thoughtful article honors his dedication to fighting hunger!
I had a warm and memorable last word and hand shake with David in Des Moines at the WFP.
We miss him!
Brady
Deaton, Brady (Chancellor Emeritus) <DeatonB@missouri.edu>

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Dear Marshall,
A very fitting tribute to David and his passion. Thank you kindly for sharing!
Donna Ramaeker Zahn
Donna Zahn <d.ramaekerzahn@gmail.com>

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Thank you all for this. We are all going to miss David, his influence, and his friendship for a long time.
Barb Leach
Leach, Barbara - OCIO <Barbara.Leach@ocio.usda.gov>

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Thank you Marshall--very appropriate.
Stephanie Mercier <smercier@farmjournalfoundation.org>

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Marsh,
As always, a compelling and well reasoned article, made even more powerful by your dedication to David, who would have been the first to congratulate you for authoring it. Ken
Ambassador Kenneth M. Quinn (ret.)
President, The World Food Prize
Kenneth M Quinn <kquinn@worldfoodprize.org>

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Seemed only right to dedicate this month’s article to David as if focused on “ Global Food Security: Next Steps.” Best regards to Ruth and all on this special email chain. Marshall
http://www.agri-pulse.com/Global-food-security-next-steps-10282015.asp
Marshall Matz <mmatz@ofwlaw.com>

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