Dear Gadling Readers,

We usually avoid getting overly serious here at Gadling, but something happened recently, and we thought we should share it with you.

Our friend and colleague Jeff White has died. Unbeknownst to most of us, Jeff had been battling cancer for some time. Though he'd been in remission, the cancer came back late last year and spread throughout his body. He died at his parents' home in Connecticut on June 29, 2009. He is survived by his parents, James and Dolores; his brothers, Gregory, Paul, and Michael; five nieces and nephews; and his wife, Nicki, to whom he was married for only three weeks. (I wince every time I think about that.) Jeff was 32.

A career journalist, Jeff was living and working in Berlin when we contracted him to write for Gadling in February of 2008. While all the bloggers at Gadling travel, Jeff was a traveling expat, which, in my mind, made him uniquely qualified for this work. He did not disappoint. Though he lived far from the rest of the team, he kept in close contact, and I considered him a good friend and a dependable co-worker. He was a talented writer, armed with with a quick wit, a global perspective, and a passion for travel.

Today, we're going to pay tribute to Jeff, republishing some of his old posts that really moved us. We hope you'll indulge us -- and maybe get to know Jeff all over again. A good place to start is his "About Jeff White" post.

We love you, Jeff. You'll be missed.

Filed under: About The Bloggers