As David’s older brother, I had the great privilege of knowing him for 46 years, from both near and afar. David had many outstanding characteristics, but, for me, three stood out. First, was his clever wit. Second, was his compassion for others. David had empathy for other cultures, his clients, his friends, and strangers. But what I most remember is his dedication to excellence and the pursuit of knowledge. Most of you know that he was a master of the law and Russian. He was widely considered the leading Russian corporate finance lawyer, and many Russians considered him the finest non-native speaker they ever encountered. However, you probably did not know that: • He was conversant in several languages, including German, which he learned from being around Bettina and his in-laws. • He was an award-winning artist and could have pursued a career in art. • As you saw today, he was a motorcycle enthusiast • In high school, he excelled at swimming and wrestling • He was a “master chef” before Gordon Ramsay made male cooking cool. I remember showing up to visit him and Bettina in Georgetown, and, to my surprise being treated to a gourmet meal with spices that nobody had ever heard of at the time. Here’s a story that exemplifies David. In high school, he was taking a world geography class and, of course, he devoured the assigned text book. But that was not good enough. At home he scoured through encyclopedias and maps, as there was no internet or google in those days! So, one day at class, the teacher, who was a bit of a know-it-all, asked the class what was the name of an Island off the coast of India. Of course, only David’s hand shot up. Confidently, he said “Sri Lanka”. The teacher said, “No, it’s Ceylon.” Thereafter, a five minute argument ensued with both stubbornly sticking to their respective positions. The next day, David paraded into class with his recent atlas and proudly pointed out that Ceylon’s name had indeed been changed to Sri Lanka. The red-faced teacher could only mumble a bitter apology! From the day he was born, David chased the ever-receding dream of perfection that is beyond human grasp. And alas, the nearest he came was his three children, Katya, Anna, and Alex. And for you, I know that amidst all this confusion, your Papa would only want you to know one, one thing, that you are loved…you are loved.