(Phil Smith on his partner Gachi de Luis who died on the Ethiopian flight that crashed on Sunday morning)
Gachi de Luis and I were together for just over ten years, our relationship began not long after the death of my wife from cancer. Gachi brought me back to life, cared for me, helped me with life choices and enveloped me in her world. We chose to live apart, she in Rome and I in Geneva and she called me her “off-shore boyfriend” and assured me that all her girlfriends thought this a splendid arrangement.
We were planning to grow old together, sharing our time between Rome, UK and Merida, in fact she’d spent recent months driving estate agents mad in her quest for a house. I am determined to keep my links to her family, it’s a way of keeping contact with her.
I have been overwhelmed with messages of love and support, Gachi left her mark on the world.
Last night Gachi’s Mexican family celebrated mass in Merida, all dressed in white – Gachi hated black. The UN is organising an event on Friday and FAO interpreters are organising something in her memory next week. People from around the world are united in grief.
Death means paperwork and everything is in the hands of the UN specialised team, the US State Department and the Mexican Embassy in Addis.
Words hardly do justice to the depth of my pain, I feel numb, the simplest task is a mountain to climb. But please do not keep your distance, I am going to need the support of friends and colleagues.
I am broken.
Phil Smith
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Dear Phil, I dared not write to you, sending my condolences via Peter and other friends, but now let me tell you that I am devastated, I feel your pain deeply and cannot imagine the world without Gachi, one of a kind and a really good colleague and mate. I know these are only words but they come from the heart. Courage, a big hug
Helena Bayliss
Dear Phil,
What a wonderful tribute to a lovely person. Gachi’s legacy of living life to its fullest must go on.😘
We mourn with you 🌻
Ay, Phil, qué pena tan grande… Te mando mucha fuerza. Clara
Ciao Phil , sono Emanuela , ho conosciuto Graziella quando le ho venduto la cucina che amava tanto per la casa di Trastevere.Era una donna piena di vita , colta e sempre sorridente . Sono addolorata per quello che le è successo , mi sembra assurdo ! Sento ancora la sua voce .Non la dimenticherò mai.Un abbraccio Emanuela
Dear Phil, What a beautiful tribute. And what a horrible accident. I’m so very, very sorry for your loss.
Yours, Maria
Querido Phil
Como te decía, todos nos sentimos huérfanos de nuestra querida Gachi. Su risa y delicioso sentido del humor y su generoso cariño y afecto nos faltan dolorosamente. Un abrazo muy muy fuerte y ¡ánimos!
Mónica
Dear Phil,
My depest condolence… My mother (Margarita) and I have been in shock the last 48h and the sadness is abruptly breaking through. I can’t hardly express the wonderful person she was. I only have happy memories of la tia Gachi everytime she came to visit us. We will dearly miss her.
Please know that you our in our thoughts.
Warmly,
Rodrigo
Phil, quelle belle lettre d’amour pour ta Gachi chérie qui dévorait la vie, cette amie un peu farfelue laisse un grand vide dans mon coeur.
Tu peux compter sur moi. je t’embrasse
So unbelievably unfair, Phil, my heart goes out to you.
Dear Phil,
I am so very sorry for your loss. My thoughts are with you.
Dear Phil,
Words cannot express the feelings of shock and loss we are all experiencing. Gachi was and will always be a kind and loving soul who cared for her peers, I remember her taking younger colleagues under her wing and encouraging us to do the same. Gone too soon, but her legacy shall live on through you and those of us who had the chance to know her.
It was in the interpreters’ lounge at FAO I met Gachi for the first time. The first thing she told me about was the Uighur restaurants she went to in Beijing during the 2008 Olympic Games . She couldn’t have Chinese food because of her MSG intolerance. I always wondered if she adopted me because of Uighur food which , according to her, saved her life in Beijing. She was a mother and meant the world to me. She was a mentor who guided me for the last ten years. She was an amazing friend who was loving, passionate, funny, cultured, positively sarcastic and witty. Losing her leaves a hole in my life. Phil , I feel you. But look, how lucky of us to have crossed paths with Gachi and have shared precious moments with her. Let’s celebrate her life and let her generosity kindness love abide in us. Let’s live in force.
Dear Phil,
My deepest condolence, words cannot even begin to express our sorrow. Please remember that you are not alone. We are always here for you.
yours, Dahlia
Gachi was a mother and meant the world to me. She was a mentor who guided me for the last ten years. She was an amazing friend who was loving, passionate, funny, cultured, positively sarcastic and witty. Losing her leaves a hole in my life. Phil, I feel you. But look, how lucky of us to have crossed paths with Gachi and have shared precious moments with her. Let’s celebrate her life and let her generosity kindness love abide in us. Let’s live in force.
Cher Phil
Merci pour ce beau message. Gachi vit parmi nous dans nos yeux avec toutes ses couleurs qu’elle affectionnait tant, dans nos oreilles avec tous ses rires tonitruants et cette voix magnifique, dans nos coeurs avec tout l’amour et l’affection qu’elle a généreusement prodigués autour d’elle. Tu es dans mes prières et j’espère que tu sens cette épaule que je te prête pour t’aider à porter cette incommensurable peine. Je suis là pour toi, toujours, partout. Je t’embrasse. Elisabeth kouaovi
Dear Phil,
I was so saddened by this news and didn’t know what to say. Thank you so much for expressing your thoughts and feelings so openly and frankly, and I wish you all the best in recovering from this second great tragedy in your life. I’ll be with you in spirit on your journey.
Martha Hobart
I am so sorry for your loss Phil, and mine.
Dominique
Un grande e profondo dolore nel cuore
Lorella antonio