Neil and I worked closely in the 80s and 90s in pursuing rational policies to counter the epidemic of disease and deaths caused by cigarette smoking. Much of what we accomplished in Canada was made possible by his commitment and his good-humoured efforts to help identify areas for action – and effectively give feedback, even while not looking like he was doing so! He took his commitment to WHO, where again we worked closely together. There is a lag between smoking and its resulting health toll, but we are now seeing reductions in smoking-caused disease and increased longevity for millions of people as a direct result of those past efforts. While Neil was lost too early, it is a wonderful testament to his life that millions of years of precious lives have, in significant part due to his efforts, been given to others.