This eulogy for Pierre was written by Roger McGowen in Geneva on the night of October 31st to Mina Compagnon-Gaul.
Yes, Pierre was special to me in a way I can never explain. He took in a young man on death row with no hope and essentially no family, and taught him to be a human being, a man of principles, a man of love, and a man of God.
He gave him hope, he gave him a voice, and he gave him the means to share that voice with the world. Most importantly, he gave him his life and did not ask for anything in return. He gave his life to me and asked for nothing.
Pierre walks among the greatest teachers of love this world has ever known. He is second to none when it comes to loving humanity.
Words will never be able to explain who he is and what he means to me. He was a brother, friend, teacher and father. As long as I breathe, he will live within me. I want everyone who listens to my story to understand that my story would not have been possible without Pierre Pradhavan.
I spoke to Pierre a few weeks before he passed away. I told him what I had to say, and he told me what I had to say. A silence fell between us after we spoke, but neither of us wanted to break it. Now we both realized we were saying goodbye, but in our hearts we knew it would be our last conversation on earth. When you hang up the phone, the next time you call his name, someone will say that he has left this physical world. A week later, Emilio told me:
I am pleased that his life and legacy will be honored and remembered. I wish I could be there too, and I will mentally and emotionally. I know he told me to let him go, but it's so hard to let go of Mina. It's very difficult.
Let everyone know that when love is shown, when a kind word is spoken, when the sun shines on a bright and beautiful day, Pierre Pradhavan smiles.
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