Remembering Jason Spindler
“The eternal optimist” — that’s how I describe my dear friend Jason Spindler. We met nearly twenty years ago in New York as we were starting out as Financial Analysts. After the terrorist attacks of 9/11, once we were both out of harms way, I remember Jason rushed to Ground Zero to help dig through the rubble to find survivors. He returned to Ground Zero several times over the following days to continue helping with the rescue efforts.
So when I received the call last Tuesday that Jason was caught in a terrorist attack in Nairobi Kenya, I naturally thought he was in the middle of this disaster helping others. He talked about Africa as the future and was so passionate as development efforts were sprouting in the region. I couldn’t comprehend the tragic news that Jason had been killed in this terrorist attack.
Jason stepped away from a lucrative career path in Private Equity to put his energy towards making an impact in the world. Jason signed up for the Peace Corps and never looked back. He led a life of service, working tirelessly to impact needy communities in Peru, India and Kenya. He mostly lived abroad for the past fifteen years, dedicating his life to helping others.
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
-Martin Luther King Jr.
Jason was the light in this world. He lived a fuller life than anyone I’ve known. He has traveled the world and is someone that continues to connect people even in his absence. When my wife and I were considering volunteering abroad, he was the first person to encourage us to take this journey. Jason connected us to his network in New Delhi, India which was critical to us getting started. Jason inspired me to be a better person and challenged me to think about the impact I could have on society.
Today is Jason’s 41st birthday. To honor his memory, we went indoor rock climbing as a family, a favorite pastime that Jason routinely shared with our children. The kids made sure we got cupcakes and blew out birthday candles to mark this special occasion. They say friends are the family we choose for ourselves. Jason means so much to our family. Our kids call him Uncle Jason. We miss him dearly.
The Jason J. Spindler Foundation has been launched. Please consider supporting this foundation which will carry on Jason’s legacy: https://jjsfoundation.com/
