It is with great sadness and a heavy heart I share these sentiments. What will I remember of Paul Kurtz? And what do I wish the world will remember of him?

Paul was a kind, warm hearted, fun loving, and generous man. He was a visionary and a doer, courageous and bold. He was a risk taker and an optimist. I will remember his many pronouncements of (Zhwa de viva) joie de vivre. This is how he lived his life ... with joy and exuberance, another of his favorite words! He wanted the best for all and did all he could to fulfill his goals. He was a planetary ambassador for secular humanism and neo-humanism. We will hear of his worldwide influence for decades, centuries, and if humanity is wise for millennia to come. Even as those of us who loved him and those who did not, disappointed him, he would awake each day to a new day filled with his trademark attribute, forgiveness. He was cheerful and thoughtful in ways large and small.

His personal financial generosity is renowned. Not only internationally, where in many cases he seeded humanism and skepticism from his own pocket, but for decades with staff members and friends of his many endeavors. If someone was in personal financial trouble Paul was there to help them out.

He lived the life he taught and expounded upon, and above all he taught. From the first moment we met, Paul and I had frequent long and earnest chats about our views on life and living. He was a liberal, a feminist, a man of the universe. He believed in the virtues of selflessness and cooperation and worked for social justice and education for all.

When Paul and I first started to work together I would be surprised to meet him in the hotel gym early in the morning working out. We enjoyed conversations about the work day and future plans those early mornings. Sometimes we went for long walks. As most folks know, Paul walked almost every day of his life. He was not only my mentor but my champion. Paul was the kind of leader who gave an assignment and judged on the basis of results, without resorting to stifling management. He encouraged and allowed growth in those who accepted his tutelage and guidance.

We had many collaborations starting with the first conference we co-hosted in Florida, to one of our grandest accomplishments; the opening of the Office Of Public Policy in Washington D.C., and then the founding of the Institute for Science and Human Values (ISHV). Kurtz said what he saw as a crisis in secularism prompted him to form ISHV. “It is becoming obvious to an increasing number of secularists that to be disaffected from religion doesn’t bestow moral or ethical superiority,” he said. “We want to investigate whether there is a moral framework reinforced by reason that non-theists can embrace.”

As Paul offered me the opportunity to organize in Florida, he also offered me a way to advance my education by attending summer school. The students that year were from Russia, China, around the states and a few from South America. It was the first time I realized his planetary reach. It took me a while to wrap my head around the extent of his influence. This year on our last trip together we traveled to Paris to present at the UN on the influence of humanism to bring about world peace. I spent two weeks in Russia teaching at Moscow State University this summer. These experiences led me to my commitment to carry on his planetary vision and work.

I was fortunate enough to have had a last conversation with him concerning the future work of the Institute the day before he died. One of his last directions was he wished to be a signatory on Leo Igwe’s A Manifest for A Skeptical Africa. We were also formulating plans to continue his much beloved summer school here at the University of Buffalo.

How will I remember Paul? As a lion of a man and a true friend. I will remember him with love. And I promise to continue his work carrying out his mission.