I never expected having to write this blog post.
Pieter Van Puymbroeck my dear friend the better part of the Belgian conference delegation is no more amongst us.
Unfortunately you were found on your boat Friday 16th July.
We talked or texted twice a week sometimes more, when we were organising the Belgian Techdays together I heard you more then my wife.
We had such fun at all kinds of conferences across Europe. I introduced you in the Oracle community.
We started as a duo, we never really studied our presentations and when you forgot something in the presentation I took over and vice versa.
We also did a presentation about Gdpr, we had a lot of fun to create that presentation a topic on which we knew absolutely nothing before creating it.
You were one of the few people I know who could calm me down and I had the same effect on you. After a while we were seen as the odd Belgian Chocolate aficionado couple.
Probably because of That chocolate tasting contest with our Friend Christian Berg, Belgium against Switzerland chocolate which started as a joke and became a tradition at conferences, with speakers bringing their chocolate to taste by delegates and speakers.
You quickly surpassed me all the way, you became part of the community became an Oracle Ace later an Ace Director.
You became PM at Oracle and a darn good one listening to the community and to your customers. Always there to help.
Always plenty of energy.
I am one of the few privileged people that knew you also in private outside of conferences and community work.
Who knew about your passion for music, sailing, your caring for your son Manten. I also knew you personal life and that went not always over roses.
My dear Pieter my life is not the same anymore without you I hoped one day you could do a speech at my funeral but faith decided otherwise, I miss you bro.
Take care there high in the skies and make sure that they have their data guard setup done correctly and no dataloss will ocur may be you set up a far sync standby. Don’t forget to tell Joel Kallman how much we miss him.
Sail away my friend sail away
Philippe
Update
Said straight from the heart. He will truly be missed. My heart is broken.
Dear Philippe
I just got back from vacation and now It is very hard to accept that Pieter has left us:( Actually this is a heartbreaking and very sad news …. What a profound pain… Herewith I want to thank you for this very nice and well written message in memory of our colleague and loveable Friend Pieter alias Pupi. I and all people who knew him will definitely miss him a lot. I truly loved co-working with him and so did our customers… Pieter was a very sincere person, extremely talented, a very knowledgeable MAA expert but also a great writer with lots of humour. Often he would share some very emotional stories … which I listened carefully. I wish he was still around us but unfortunately there is nothing we can do about this fatality:( May God bless his 'little him' this is how sometimes he would name Manten and bring strength and comfort during this period and in his future. Lila Ait Akkache from Oracle. Colleague and Friend who will deeply miss him:(