Steve Wolkoff - A friend sorely missed and will be forever remembered
It was 8:45am Sunday morning, as I was pulling my car out of the drive way, Doug's ID flashed on my cellphone, I picked up the phone and puzzled because Doug doesn't call me on a Sunday morning. "Hello?", Doug's voice was on the phone, "Did I wake you up? I am sorry that I have a very bad news." For a second I thought there was a problem with production or we run into trouble with a customer...Then Doug continued: "Steve died in a car accident on highway 1 last night..." My mind went completely blank...I repeatedly yelled to the phone with disbelief: "Steve?! You meant the Steve Wolkoff?! Steve?!"...
24 hours later, I am still shocked and speechless, trying to avoid any topic related to Steve, couldn't hold on to read any email related to him, refusing to admit that I won't see him tomorrow, with his trademark grin — as how Mike puts it.
I have known Steve since he was in GTS at DoubleClick, then getting to know him more when he started on DART Motif, and finally, there is FreeWheel, I get to work with him all those days and nights. It is like yesterday when I first introduced him to FreeWheel Beijing team, I was so proud that Steve, yet another ex-clicker chose to join us because he believes in our vision and the people executing it. Along with Steve, came with his sunshine personality, a bit shy, a bit reserved, however, always with a smile on his face - the Steve Wolkoff trademark grin.
I know I will not get over the fact that Steve has left us forever, deep in my heart somewhere, I still hope that this is just a bad dream, When I wake up, everything is going to be alright...When I wake up, he would smile at me, and says "You know, that is a really good point. Let me own that."...When I wake up, he would wave at me from his table, says "Hey, Diane, nice to see you here at San Mateo office!"...When I wake up, he would join me on yet another Beijing trip, trying out all "Diane's special tofu" dishes that I am throwing at him, and says "Interesting"...
I am sharing some pictures taken last August from Kevin, when Steve joined the Beijing team on the Great Wall trip, with Jon and Mike.
Steve in the back row, with his trademark grin:
My favorite picture of Steve:
Tribute to Steve, our dear friend that is sorely missed and will be forever remembered by us at FreeWheel. May our thoughts and prayers go to Steve's family, Cindy and her family...May Steve rest in peace...
This entry was written at the airport when waiting for a flight back to San Francisco, we came down to visit prospects. As Brent puts it, Steve would want us to get them. Let's put in our best effort, for him! Yes, the best way of remembering Steve, our dear friend, is to turn a vision he believes into a real business that he would be proud of! I know a lot of us at FreeWheel feel the same too... We just reached a benchmark in serving live ad traffic for our customers today, Di already suggested that this one goes to Steve!
24 hours later, I am still shocked and speechless, trying to avoid any topic related to Steve, couldn't hold on to read any email related to him, refusing to admit that I won't see him tomorrow, with his trademark grin — as how Mike puts it.
I have known Steve since he was in GTS at DoubleClick, then getting to know him more when he started on DART Motif, and finally, there is FreeWheel, I get to work with him all those days and nights. It is like yesterday when I first introduced him to FreeWheel Beijing team, I was so proud that Steve, yet another ex-clicker chose to join us because he believes in our vision and the people executing it. Along with Steve, came with his sunshine personality, a bit shy, a bit reserved, however, always with a smile on his face - the Steve Wolkoff trademark grin.
I know I will not get over the fact that Steve has left us forever, deep in my heart somewhere, I still hope that this is just a bad dream, When I wake up, everything is going to be alright...When I wake up, he would smile at me, and says "You know, that is a really good point. Let me own that."...When I wake up, he would wave at me from his table, says "Hey, Diane, nice to see you here at San Mateo office!"...When I wake up, he would join me on yet another Beijing trip, trying out all "Diane's special tofu" dishes that I am throwing at him, and says "Interesting"...
I am sharing some pictures taken last August from Kevin, when Steve joined the Beijing team on the Great Wall trip, with Jon and Mike.
Steve in the back row, with his trademark grin:
My favorite picture of Steve:
Tribute to Steve, our dear friend that is sorely missed and will be forever remembered by us at FreeWheel. May our thoughts and prayers go to Steve's family, Cindy and her family...May Steve rest in peace...
This entry was written at the airport when waiting for a flight back to San Francisco, we came down to visit prospects. As Brent puts it, Steve would want us to get them. Let's put in our best effort, for him! Yes, the best way of remembering Steve, our dear friend, is to turn a vision he believes into a real business that he would be proud of! I know a lot of us at FreeWheel feel the same too... We just reached a benchmark in serving live ad traffic for our customers today, Di already suggested that this one goes to Steve!
英年早逝，节哀顺变。
朋友的逝去，也能鼓起自己好好生活的勇气。
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I am sorry to hear that ! I hope you can get right soon ! I hope you get out from the sorrow soon !Diane , Be strong !
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我们一直关注着freewheel，闻此噩耗，扼腕叹息，逝者安息，生者保重！
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看照片很熟悉，如果认错人表示抱歉
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哦，我的邮箱是ttt1211@sina.com
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I heard of Diane from Progammer organize. I'm sorry to hear that you have lost your friend.. anyway, best wishes to you and your friend.
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Diane,
I have heard much about you and had meant to respond sooner. Some of this may seem weird, but it does have meaning for me.
When I was near the end of my pregnancy with Steven, I dreamed that I had seen him and he would be my China doll. Dark hair, Asian features and I thought of the only doll I had for years as a young girl in Israel, a Chinese porcelain doll. Now this was just before sonograms were routine for pregnancy and I didn't even know if I was having a boy or girl, but somehow I knew about Steven.
Steve was my China Doll--until he was 19 people thought he was biracial; his first eye doctor thought he was Asian and he was often mistaken for his friend, Eddie, whose mother was Irish and father Korean.
It was a running joke in my eastern European family that some Chinese merchant had stopped by and spent the night with some of my ancestors!
To see Steven in Beijing, to know of his ease, comfort and curiosity with other cultures and environments was wonderful and reflected the diversity of his background, and the secret genetic code hidden in our family!
I thank you for your faith in him, your support of him, and the opportunities you afforded him.
I still don't know that I believe he is not around for me to hug him, call him, or try a shot at emailing during a busy day, but I am grateful that in his short life, he had such richness of experiences.
Thank you.
Sandy Wolkoff, Steven's mom
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Thanks Sandy for your nice note.
On behalf of the Beijing team, I want you to know that it was a great pleasure to have Steve here in Beijing. We all enjoyed our Great Wall trip. He liked the spicy hot pot place where I took the team for dinner that day, and enjoyed my "special toufu" recommendation too!
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