Prominent Architect David Mandl Dead at 53

David & I went to High School together and he was just one of the sweetest guy you would want to know. A little excentric, but that's what made him so special. He didn't care what blended, he liked the unusual, now we can all see why. That's all part of why he had such a successful career. Like most of us, we lost contact after HS, we all went our separate ways, I got married and started a family right away. David did just the opposite. I saw him at our reunions, we touched base, and talked about old times, again, such a nice, down to earth, David. We met up again through a dear friend of my brother, Michael last year.(You know that 6 degrees of separation?) Only, this time, he was very sick, very sick. It's funny, how life takes turns, I met Anita, his wife, for the first time, and I felt like I've known her my whole life. I guess I knew how she was feeling because I had lost my sister to cancer 5 years ago and my heart just went out to her - I just started praying very deeply for David and Anita and their families everyday that they find the strength to get through this terrible time of their lives - I knew what they were going to be faced with and my heart went out to them. We stayed in touch, I prayed, I hoped he would beat it, he fought hard, but we all know that pancreatic cancer is not curable. It's funny though - when we were talking at our reunion - in 2003 -the year we all turned 50 - I was talking to David about my sister (who died at 47 yrs. old) and her battle with breast cancer (7 years, she left 2 young children)(8 & 12) he really didn't remember her, he knew I had a big family (there were 6 of us)but she was in the grade below us, anyway, I was telling him of her battle and he said we should do something to lick this cancer thing. He said he knew what I was talking about, he knew so many people with cancer, or who died of cancer. All the money in the world, why can't they find a cure? What's the problem? We have money, plenty of money, why can't we cure this cancer shit??? AND HE WASN'T EVEN SICK THEN !!!!!!!! I truly believe people are brought together at certain times of their lives for specific reasons, we may not know them at first, but, soon, we get it - I never would have guessed that David would be stricken with cancer when we spoke back in 2003, and then for me to see him at the reunion and connect, and then for my brother to meet him for the first time last year through his best friend. Yeah, that's right, Last winter (2006), my older brother, Michael, called me and said, guess where I am? Of course, I had no idea! He was at David's apartment in Manhattan !! He was visiting with his best friend, Jeff who grew up with David, when they were introduced, David immediately recognized the last name, and said, I went to school with your sister, Maryann !!!! Small world!! There's that 6 degrees of separation!! Only, this time it's only 3 degrees!! That's how I found out how sick David was. I was truly devastated,not another one, another young, vibrant friend. This cancer shit has to stop. What is going on? That's all you hear. I'm just sick, turn on the news, read the newspaper, everyone you talk to, its outright rampart. Enough. Just too many, too young. It's very sad, very sad indeed. David, you were truly one of a kind, a very talented individual, I wish I had gotten to know you better as an adult, but again, life has it winding twists & turns, I will keep in touch with Anita and I'll hear stories of your life through her, I am happy that you are no longer in pain & suffering. I will continue to pray for your soul - you will surely be missed my friend, rest in peace.
Love eternally, Maryann