Giancarlo Ramaioli

Many of you will have known Giancarlo, who passed away yesterday after a long illness.

Back in 1989, Gian co-founded Graphiconies, which later became Public Communications Centre. Myself and Gian worked together in PCC from 1994 until 2001 and shared an office for much of that time. When I joined, Gian had the job of teaching me everything I needed to know about printing – now long forgotten curiosities such as output bureaux, film and cromalins.

Way back in the last century, Gian was an online evangelist, seeing the potential of the internet for nonprofits long before most charities even noticed it. The Community Exchange newsletter he established while at PCC endures still as a vital communication and networking resource for the sector.

Gian was an incredibly hard-working and committed man. He had a passion for the nonprofit world and the issues that drive us. And he was a beautiful basketball player, dazzling us mere mortals on the court in the YMCA on Thursday evenings.

The last time he emailed me, he told me he was back doing chemotherapy and that he had “to get used to the fact that the tumor might get in a ‘bad mood’ at some stage – hopefully not before 2050…. ”

It was characteristic of his quiet sense of humour, and while the tumor may have got in a ‘bad mood’, throughout his illness Gian never seemed to. He fought it with the same determination, passion and commitment that he brought to his work.

Our deepest sympathies go out to his wife Paola and all his family.

(There’s a far more eloquent tribute to Gian on the PCC website.)