Waleed J. Iskandar
(By Brian Guthrie)
~ He is much missed ~



(Brian, Juliana, Charles, Waleed and Sue in Bali, 1996)

     Waleed and I first met in Topeka, Kansas shortly after joining Monitor Company. Our work together on that tire-manufacturing project spawned a dozen stories that have grown over the years, but more importantly offered the opportunity to develop a friendship that grew with time and that I have treasured.

     After a few moments, anyone meeting Waleed would recognize his intelligence. Countless poker games, chess matches, and hours of discussing business issues or just theories on how the world works, only deepened my respect for his impressive intellect. I can picture Waleed with that intent, yet distant, look in his eyes as he roamed along some train of thought that I could only rarely hope to follow.

     Even within a circle of very bright people, Waleed’s intelligence was extraordinary. However, it was his spirit--his joie de vivre--that I came to appreciate as even more special. His world travels were an endless source of amazement to me. I was able to join him in Bali where we played ping pong and celebrated his birthday with a few fellow travelers and friends on the remote beach of Tulumben. But also the simple joy he could exhibit--from a lazy July afternoon with sangria on Newbury Street, or from creating the sound and video-disk system for his Beacon apartment, or from sharing with friends his favorite foods prepared specially by his mother for his HBS graduation party--was inspirational. I’m only now more fully appreciating the lessons captured in the wake of his “seize the moment” approach to life.

     There is no need for me to tell you about his dedication to family and friends. But the smile on his face when he talked about his nieces and nephews and when, with Nicolette, he become one of the first friends to hold my baby son, spoke volumes about the father and family man he would have become.

     I’ve left out so much — his amazing water-skiing, the look on his face driving by me on the way to the basketball hoop, his requisite tie dye, breakfast at the IHOP in Houston, Fourth of July on his rooftop, the crazy giggle when he arrived just in time to greet my wife and me as we walked down the aisle after our wedding ceremony. However, I know it is impossible to encapsulate the life of someone as broad and deep as Waleed in this brief letter.

     He is much missed.
(Brian Guthrie)

(Back to the Index)

Home