Lost a very close colleague a month before to cancer. The kind of colleague that actually lifted you up and probably one of the strongest people I have ever known. Always ready to hop in and help out no matter what the time or where she was. There were times when she was responding while she was in a hospital bed. I'd known for at least 2 years and she was pretty open about it, but man she never ever complained. If there was one person who was responsible for my growth it would be her.
I remember when I was just given additional responsibilities (I was feeling a little overwhelmed at the time but I never said it), she messaged me on the side just to say "In case no one has told you yet, you're doing a fantastic job. Just thought you should know!" She didn't need to do that, and it did everything in the world to boost my confidence. She was someone everyone looked up to and yet she was not the boss. She just was one of those people that was just awesome.
The last thing she said was "I'm going in for a check up but I'll be back next week". Never heard from her again. She was gone in a week. Her mother messaged and it broke the team. It broke me. There's not a day that I don't miss her