Balisage and, before it, Extreme Markup always reminded me of the musical form of a sonata: there was an introduction, followed by exposition of often contrasting themes that, during a few days of the conference, would undergo development while often including brilliant improvized cadenzas before coming to the recapitulation, where all the different strands of thematic material would come to a satisfying resolution. As listeners, we all were at the edge of our seats, waiting for Michael to perform this resolution, which always gave the preceding music structural clarity, thematic unity, stability, and reaffirmation. Far from being only a master of the resolution, Michael was an integral part of the entire musical texture: it is impossible to imagine this concert without the sonorous ostinato of his being a moderator, without his contributions to theme development by delivering his brilliant papers, and without the punctuation of his questions, often dramatically enhanced by pregnant pauses. Not only that; as a conference committee member, he was one of those who determined what music we were going to hear.

Michael contained multitudes. Many have commented on his teaching talents. In November 2012, I was lucky enough to take his course Introduction to XQuery for natural-language documents in Rockville, Maryland. His ability to explain complex concepts cogently and lucidly was nothing short of amazing, as was his patience in answering any and all questions. As at Balisage and elsewhere, it was so typical of him to pause before answering, giving the questioner the impression that the matter was serious and then providing a thoughtful and comprehensive response.

Syd Bauman said it—Michael was a demigod. What happens to a demigod in the afterlife? Is he in Valhalla, feasting, drinking, and honing his fighting skills until the final battle against the forces of chaos and destruction? Is he on Mount Olympus, engaged in a lively conversation with the gods while ambrosia flows abundantly? Is he in the Bardo state, navigating to his rebirth in another realm? We don't know. What we do know is that he will live in the technologies he helped to shape and in our memories. In our hearts, however, there always will be a gnawing sense of loss, a void that cannot be filled.

Requiem aeternam dona ei, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat ei. Requiescat in pace.