Marc R. Garber, an employee benefits lawyer, was a partner with my firm for almost 20 years. He died last week of cancer at age 62.

Marc loved practicing law. He loved the very arcane qualities of employee benefits law that make most of us shy away. He knew the 1953 case and the 1972 IRS ruling and the 2017 statute and everything in between. He reveled in the intellectual detail, and he was always right. I wish more lawyers shared Marc’s attention to detail. If he had chosen Crowdfunding rather than employee benefits, you wouldn’t know me.

Life dealt Marc some harsh blows, including a traffic accident that shattered his health. He was, in spite of everything, one of the most positive, optimistic human beings I’ve ever met. When I saw Marc’s unrelenting optimism in the face of adversity, and compared that to my own circumstances, I could feel almost ashamed. Marc’s joy for life was both a lesson and an inspiration.

Everyone who knew Marc will miss him dearly.