Za Mirkem Hermannem - Noblesse oblige

Mirek Hermann was my contemporary. Barely a year older than I. We met at the Juhan compound in West Van around the pool. It was friendship of some history. We knew each other´s spouses. He was always very even tempered with a marvelous sense of humour with a touch of biting wit.

Our friendsih was not terribly close (mainly due to the fact that he lived on the North Shore and I in Kerrisdale). We saw one another two or three times a year. The interpreters´circle "the mad hatters" started by Zuzana Kulhánková used to meet every month of a Thursday at one house or another. Mirek is already sorely missed by this group. Who brings all those jokes now? No one.

Mirek came to dinner when invited and even the company of a gay couple didn´t throw him. It turned out one of the gay couple had been a city clerk at city hall at the time Mirek ran for a council seat. We dished everyone at city hall at the time and I could add my five cents worth as some of those muckamucks´wives were my customers. We laughed till 1:30 am virtually without a pause. When Mirek visited my school he said: "Tři tisíce čtverečtních stop, čoveče, to tě musí stát nejmíň čtyři-pade měsíčně."

He was very sophisticated with an enviable common touch. His passing is a considerable loss to the Czech community.