We have Dalay Lamas, Nelson Mandelas, Mother Theresas.
we have Mahatma Gandhis and Churchills, we have de-Gaules,
Kennedys, de-Klerks and Sisulus. Our friend Steve Lightbody was a leader.
Lightbody was no Gandhi or Dalay Lama, thank God. He was Ghinghis Khan, he was
Hannibal, he was Camal Atta-Turk, Pancho-Villa and a Viking raider -- all put in one.
(c) iafrica.com, used by permission.
Lightbody was vision and hard play - fit in or voetsek. Think about Hannibal, schlepping thousands of elephants across the snow laden winter Alps because he believed that this had to be done - Steve was like that. Think about Atta-Turk and Pancho Villa,
street-wise, alley cats, so versed in face-to-face combat that they used it even in royal courts and boardrooms - Steve definitely was like that.
Like Ghingis Kahn, Steve relied on his troupes to deliver on his vision - he therefore hired the very best - because they are the best. He guided us with a keen eye of a true perfectionist:
Even when iafrica.com flew ahead of the competition, Steve demanded, insisted, that we re-launch the portal every three months. when someone pointed out that our main competition is made out of a bunch of pilocks - Lightbody glared at him "but we are not pilocks..". awesome sight - Lightbody glaring. It was about then that I coined a term to describe that glare - "Frontal Lightbotomy."
Yet, Lightbody wasn't into pissing competitions but marathons of will, vision and sheer skill. He told me once that if I feel strong enough about anything - I should be willing to fight tooth-and-nail over it.
Each of us got pissed off with Steve at one time or another. But we loved him. We respected Steve - Hannibal schmanibal - he was our friend.
Sure - Lightbody is the man who made iafrica.com such a powerful brand-name that even heavy competition still cannot weaken to this very day. He then marched into UUNET and turned it from a hub of bureaucracy into the power house it is now. We acknoledge these amazing achivements, we salute out fallen leader - and we shudder as we relise how much all this cost him.
Rest in peace, Steve. May God's Grace have you re-incarnated and returned to this earth. I just had one hell of a thought - Steve, If you ever - ever - need us again, the Nadler-Nirs, Parkers, Laines, Farhams, Balsens, Andersons, Geysers, Orleows, Liths, Farmers, Jupins, Oliviers and Stams .. - give us a call. anytime.