Adam RINGGUTH

I met Adam when I was in the USask Debate Society in 1999, and was convinced that he had special talents and gifts. He was one of the most promising and intelligent students in the club, and I was sure he would attain significant achievements. His academic successes are very impressive but Adam's true strengths were his sincerity and genuine desire to understand others and their motivations. There was very little artifice about him, and his infectious good humour and respect for others made him stand out from his peers. Although I was not very popular with Adam's colleagues in the Debate Society, I was very pleasantly surprised a few years later, after I had moved to Toronto, when he requested me to be his friend on Facebook. It was typical of Adam to make up his own mind and his own opinion of people. Despite his considerable youth (he was 13 years younger than me) and his youthful openness to exploring new ideas, there was a sense of an old soul about Adam - as though he knew what was important in life and what could be laughed off despite social pressure. I was quite proud of his impressive accomplishments since USask but felt that he had already made a huge impression on everyone he had met. He may have been quiet but he was a solid and deep person whose impact was felt rather than seen. Some people leave their mark in the most subtle ways, irrespective of what their peers believe or expect. I am truly sorry that I've lost the chance to get to know him better but I'm glad to have known Adam and will always remember him with fondness and respect. I'm so glad he asked me to befriend him on Facebook and that I was able to follow his remarkable life. It's an opportunity for which I will always be grateful. May he rest in peace and may his family take pride and solace in the integrity and dignity with which he led his all-too-short life. My very sincere regrets and condolences.