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Chip Casanave
18-Feb-2020, 11:44 AM
It is with great sadness that I convey that our friend and colleague, Fern Bazerghi, passed away peacefully in his sleep early this morning.

Fern has been battling cancer since late 2018. He fought hard to beat the disease with a variety of treatments that allowed him to continue working through the end of 2019. In December, other complications occurred and he had to step back from work and begin a leave of absence. In the last few days, his complications worsened, he was hospitalized and entered hospice care.

Fern has been “one of us” at Data Access in so many ways; he extended to people worldwide an open, friendly, always helpful connection to the company for almost 30 years. To know him personally or professionally was to be his friend. I will always be grateful for my long relationship with Fern Bazerghi.

Rest in peace, my friend.

- Chip

Bob Worsley
18-Feb-2020, 12:10 PM
I am so sorry to hear of Fern’s passing. Like everyone else on the forum I’ve worked with him off and on over the years and he was always a pleasure to work with. in my case since the early 1980s.

seanyboy
18-Feb-2020, 12:13 PM
So sorry to hear this Chip. My condolences to his family, and to all at Data Access who must be feeling this loss keenly.

Mike Cooper
18-Feb-2020, 12:45 PM
Thanks Chip.

Fern was one of the first people that I got used to talking to when I started with Dataflex in the mid-1980s. Although I spoke with him many MANY times over the years, I finally met him one year at DISD, and I actually remember that when you introduced him at the start of that conference you introduced him as the "CEO" of Data Access... We were all a bit shocked by that announcement until you clarified that CEO meant "Chief ENTERTAINMENT Officer".... The title suited him well as he was always in the centre making sure that we all were happy and content. I, like so many others, will miss him tremendously. Rest in peace, Fern.

wila
18-Feb-2020, 01:02 PM
Don't think I ever met Fern, but he was still a very widely known person in the DataFlex family. I only ever heard good things about him.
My deepest condolences to all of his coworkers and family.
--
Wil

Garret Mott
18-Feb-2020, 01:25 PM
Very sad news indeed. Fern not only was a whole lot of fun to spend time with, he also took his job seriously & did it well.

He will be missed!

BO Lincoln
18-Feb-2020, 01:26 PM
Ahhhh Fern, that handsome barrel chested Egyptian by way of Montreal. His chest had to be that big just to hold that over-sized heart he carried around. He delighted in hearing how much snow we were having in Maine as he basked in the Florida sunshine with his shirt open to his waist and the bling swinging around his neck. Thinking of Fern Bazerghi I find myself with a smile on my face and a tear in my eye... Fare well on your journey my friend!

-BO Lincoln

Mike Cooper
18-Feb-2020, 01:28 PM
:cool: Yup... that's Fern!

Sture
18-Feb-2020, 01:30 PM
Condolences to the ones close to him.

I will be missing his never failing birthday greetings. I could always "hear" his bassy voice as I read it.

-Sture

Garret Mott
18-Feb-2020, 01:54 PM
Well said Bo! He'd always ask me how much snow I had as well & loved to hear of my visits to Montreal (being just slightly closer to it than Miami we get there fairly often).

chuckatkinson
18-Feb-2020, 01:59 PM
I miss him already. I am so sad right now. One of the great guys! Spent many an hour with him drinking and smoking cigars. He always had the best cigars. I am trying to keep the good memories in my mind to relieve the pain of his passing.

Rest in peace my friend.

Chrisk14
18-Feb-2020, 02:21 PM
I am so sorry to hear the news. I've known Fern since the 80's. I will miss him. My thoughts and prayers are with those who were closest to him.

John Tuohy
18-Feb-2020, 02:55 PM
This is sad news. My condolences to his family and I share this loss with the rest of my colleagues. Fern was there when I started working for Data Access and, from the beginning, he was just such a nice and thoughtful guy. He helped make an employee who lived 3,000 miles away feel like I was right there. When I was in town, I remember him bringing around Cuban coffee every afternoon. It was these small things that made him special. I’ll miss you my friend.

-John

Mark D Eppley
18-Feb-2020, 03:12 PM
Such sad news today.
Somehow at events/trainings over the years we would always find time to “hang out”, have a few drinks and great conversation. No matter the time in between the events, it was always like yesterday. Fern will be greatly missed, but his memory will live on forever.
Repose en paix, mon ami

danwalsh46
18-Feb-2020, 04:15 PM
I can hear his response any time I called, "Dano! How can I help you my friend?" For the past years I've awakened every March 20 to a birthday greeting for Tere. The sort of thing a salesman does, but it always felt like so much more. BO's right about the barrel chest necessary to hold that heart. At work and at play, Fern gave it his all and I'll miss him. Rest in peace, my friend.

Rich Miller
19-Feb-2020, 01:33 AM
Some people are just born with a big heart and always seem to buoy your spirits. Fern was just such a man. You always felt that you had just spoken to him the day before and could pick things right back up from your last conversation. I will always appreciate what he brought to the Dataflex community and to all of his many colleagues and friends. My condolences to his family and those closest to him. You will be missed Fern!

Hendrik van Niekerk
19-Feb-2020, 01:59 AM
Very sad to hear this, Fern was such a cool guy, never a year went by without him wishing me on my birthday and i'm 72! He will be sadly missed.....

raveens
19-Feb-2020, 04:13 AM
So very sad to hear this news...
Fern was an amazing guy and will be greatly missed. My deepest condolences to his family and those closest to him. Rest in peace, Fern.

Chris Spencer
19-Feb-2020, 03:14 PM
SO sad to hear this news. Fern was always a pleasure to deal with even when trying to get your overdue subscription money. HE always addressed me in that Oz greeting of G'day mate

Bernhard Ponemayr
20-Feb-2020, 01:23 AM
Never had the Pleasure to meet him but it seems that he is leaving a Gap.

My Condolences to his Family and all his Friends

Regards
Bernhard

Todd Forsberg
20-Feb-2020, 08:44 AM
Truely sad news. Fern was great guy and good friend. We will all miss him.
.

DaveR
20-Feb-2020, 09:25 AM
I was in Miami Beach for something Non-Dataflex, almost 2 years ago now.

Fern collected me from my hotel, then took me to lunch and eventually the airport. A great catch-up and almost 4 hours of laughs and conversation almost entirely without alcohol!

I'll miss you mate.

13496

Peter Bragg
20-Feb-2020, 09:34 AM
Some time just after I'd started working with DataFlex but prior to my first ever Synergy (2007) a non-developer colleague of mine had cause to email Data Access Worldwide. The reason escapes me now (it could well even have been about the conference) but it was Fern that replied. Assuming Fern to be a girl's name, my colleague then further replied, a little playfully and possibly even a tad flirtatiously (although I should add, not unprofessionally). So with this in mind, you can imagine my reaction when I subsequently met Fern for the first time. I never said anything to Fern, but I'm not sure my colleague ever quite lived it down, and I happily reminded him of this story when he heard the sad news and asked me "Why does that name ring a bell?".

I only knew Fern from attending Synergy each year, but I don't think I ever saw him without a large smile on his face, and he'd greet me every time just like he'd greet anyone - as though they were a good friend.

My condolences to his family and those closest to him.

SonnyFalk
20-Feb-2020, 11:44 PM
So sad to hear about this. Fern was always so cheerful and happy to help. I remember the good times in the office, lunch together, and of course the cuban coffee. He would go around the office and take orders for his famous cuban coffee. I have no idea how he managed to keep track of everyones birthdays. He always remembered mine after all these years, and he would remember my wife's birthday and my daughter's birthday too. I miss Fern already. Our deepest condolences.

-Sonny

SamRosten
27-Feb-2020, 01:28 PM
To me, Fern was THE face of Dataflex, for years before I met him in person. From our first contacts by correspondence, he felt like a friend, not just someone helping out because it was in the job description. He was even more impressive in person! So positive and upbeat, and so sincere. That smile a mile wide - just emailing him always made me smile as I imagined him on the other end of the 'line'. Very sad to hear this.

Sam