I first met Michael in 2008, when he asked me during a project presentation whether I was planning to present my work at the Balisage markup conference in Montreal. Before that, I knew him from his work at the TEI. I still remember how he discussed a DTD sketched on a napkin with me over dinner, although from my point of view his knowledge of the subject matter was so much more extensive than mine.

In 2008, I was actually able to present at Balisage for the first time. It was incredible to be able to exchange ideas with the markup community and as a fixed item on the program of every Balisage, Michael summarized all the presentations of the program in a witty review at the end, leaving some thoughts to think about in every participant. During my various attendances at Balisage between 2008 and 2013 I was lucky enough to get to know him a bit more, whether it was over dinners with shared dishes, social events or in discussions about markup topics. He was always open to new ideas despite his great contributions to the community, knew no reservations and always had a genuine interest and honest advice. He leaves an enormous hole, not only in my live, both professionally and personally.