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This
is the hardest article I've ever had to
write.
When I got a text message a little before
6:30pm last night that said “Sorry to
share that after a long bout with cancer
my beloved husband, Igal, passed
away peacefully this afternoon...Please
let everyone know. Much Love.”
I only knew one Igal, and I refused
to believe that irreplaceable
industry treasure, devoted family man and
friend was gone. It must have been a
message about another Igal that was meant
for someone else.
Sadly
it was not. I sent and received several
messages throughout the evening as I
sought further confirmation and by this
morning there was no longer any denying
what my head and heart did not want to
accept. Now my thoughts are with Igal's
loved ones - his wife and six children
- and the countless friends and
colleagues he had such a huge
impact on. Those who can get there in
person will say |
Igal
Lichtman |
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goodbye
to him today (Tuesday, February 19,
2013) at 12 Noon when services are
held at Bernheim
Apter Kreitan, 68 Old Short
Hills Rd in Livingston, New Jersey. |
My
memories of Igal will be such good ones.
Exactly 10 years ago this month, when I sat down
to write DN Journal's first
Cover Story ever I wrote about Igal
Lichtman. After selling his former company, Magic
Solutions, to Network Associates for $110
million, the former Israeli Air Force
officer had entered he domain business and
created an innovative new domain
monetization company called DomainSpa.com.
Igal was always a leader and an innovator.
One year ago I found myself writing a second
Cover Story about Igal and his
latest creation - TrafficMedia
- and the ground breaking virtual reality tour
work he had unveiled on one of his most popular
sites - Jerusalem.com.
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In
the course of doing that story I spent a
lot of time on the phone with Igal last
year. Though, unknown to me, he was
battling an illness that would take him
away within a year, he never sounded more energetic
and excited than he was in those
talks. There was no hint that he wasn't
feeling well, and I don't think he ever
would have said so anyhow. He wasn't that
kind of man. He loved getting things
done and had no time for negativity
or letting whatever obstacles might be
in his way slow him down. That is why he
was able to accomplish so much is
so short a time. |
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In
the years between those two stories, Igal also
amassed a terrific domain portfolio, buying and
selling names under a pseudonym - Mrs. Jello
- that puzzled many people. For those who knew
him and what was more important to him than anything
else in life - there was no mystery in
that name at all. Each of the first seven
letters was a first initial representing his
wife and children, with the O added as an
exclamation point at the end. Despite
the tremendous success that he had already had,
Igal spent a good deal of time among industry
newcomers that came to DNForum.com
to learn more about the domain business. He was
always generous with his advice and
encouragement and he was honest to a fault.
That's why other old friends, like Theo
Develegas,
and newer ones like Raymond
Hackney, are also writing such
glowing things about him today. While we
won't see Igal again on this plane, his memory
and positive influence will live on in
all who knew him until the day we follow him to
the next plateau. That's Igal - leading the
way just as he did throughout a life that
was exceptionally well lived.
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