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Liners has a thread dedicated to Zak in the Av Photography forum.

https://www.airliners.net/forum/viewtop ... &t=1493091

Really sad news

One of the nicest guys in our hobby. From MIA to SXM to HAM - plenty of stories were shared along the fence/beach/bar

Blue Skies, Stefan!

Well....I just read this news over at A.net of all places, and was quite shocked.

Glad to have met Stefan at LAX back in 2019 or so. Sad to have not gotten to spend some more time with him.

Deepest condolences to all who knew him better than me.

Thanks, Stefan, for helping to bring this community together.

What sad news! Incomprehensible…

Unfortunately, I only got to know Stefan personally briefly. As part of a ramp tour in Hamburg. That was 2012 and I didn't know him or nAs before. At the end of the event, Stefan, who was noticeably cheerful and in a good mood, gave me a card with the inviting note: “You are welcome to upload your pictures here, I would be happy…”

To my great regret, I never had the opportunity to meet him in person in the years that followed. Nevertheless, Stefan and I were in close written communication (especially in my early days as nAs DB editor). And yes, I certainly assumed that we would run into each other again at some point. It is a painful realization that this opportunity will no longer arise.

My deepest condolences go out to Stefan's family and close friends, who, like all of us, have lost a precious person. We can only hope that netAirspace continues to make good progress. It would certainly be in Stefan's mind.

RIP Stefan!

This is very sad news and I don't know what to say.

RIP Stefan

I am deeply shocked by this terrible news. Life has no law, it should not have been his time. It was very early. He was the one I contacted when I joined the Netairspace community, and the one who clarified the rules of the game here. I was the first photographer based in Gran Canaria to join disappointed with other environments and behind me have come others who have seen the intelligence and generosity that guides this community that owes so much to Zak. In his memory we must make what he created stronger. Count on me for whatever I can help.
Rest in peace Stephan Gebenis, Zak. Your work will shine like a star in the sky


Antonio Rodríguez
Gran Canaria
Spain

HT-ETNW wrote:What incredibly sad news !

I always thought that Stefan originated from Hamburg, but it was during a meeting at FRA that we found out that he grew up the city of Espelkamp in Eastern Westphalia, a mere 60 klicks west of my home town.
And having been to Espelkamp myself I fully can understand that Stefan moved away from there looking for Big City Life, and The World.

(Espelkamp´s number of inhabitants "exploded" (no pun intended) to more than ten-fold after the Second World War, when a former grenade manufacturing site was converted into a refugee camp, gradually turning into permanent housing over the next decades. One big chunk of new arrivals were people of German descent relocating from the Soviet Union (especially from Kazakhstan SSR) in the 1970´s.)


-HT

Alt-Espelkamp is where the funeral took place, yesterday, the 10th of May.

https://www.wb-trauer.de/traueranzeige/stefan-gebenus

R.I.P Stefan

HT-ETNW wrote:I always thought that Stefan originated from Hamburg, but it was during a meeting at FRA that we found out that he grew up the city of Espelkamp in Eastern Westphalia, a mere 60 klicks west of my home town.
And having been to Espelkamp myself I fully can understand that Stefan moved away from there looking for Big City Life, and The World.

I do recall him mentioning this. In a strange six degrees of separation moment, it turns out I had visited Espelkamp as part of a tour of manufacturing facilities a few years before meeting Stefan. If you ever want to learn how to cheat slot machines, it is the place to go. Otherwise, moving to Hamburg seems wise.

fiatstilojtd wrote:Alt-Espelkamp is where the funeral took place, yesterday, the 10th of May.

https://www.wb-trauer.de/traueranzeige/stefan-gebenus

R.I.P Stefan

The date is either an error, a mis-translation, or a later memorial service. Stefan's funeral took place in March, according to several of his political associates and the party's website.

JLAmber wrote:
The date is either an error, a mis-translation, or a later memorial service. Stefan's funeral took place in March, according to several of his political associates and the party's website.

I read that as well and was wondering if he maybe provided his body for medical research etc., because the website is a local newspaper and one has to pay for the obituary. It was posted on the 11th of May....yeah, maybe it just a memorial service - but the text in the obituary reads more like a funeral.

The wording in the obituary leaves some room for options and speculations. But I think we should end our speculations in this thread and respect the privacy of Stefan's family.
-HT

Apologies. I wasn't speculating, merely providing specifics. Sometimes, articulating what I really mean doesn't come across in typed words.

Recently, I worked with Wim, a mutual acquaintance of myself and Stefan and the person who first informed us of Stefan's tragic passing. He relayed an anecdote of the first time they worked together, which I thought was perfect:

By all accounts, Stefan arrived on the job an hour late (of course he did!), sorted issues that would normally take two people a whole day in the space of two hours, then took everyone out for an outstanding lunch.
The three of us that knew Stefan were smiling and nodding in recognition when my South African colleague asked "Was this guy Italian?" Probably, without realising it.
He was, in spirit, a character that defied definition.

We were sometimes friends, sometimes sparring partners. Stefan was guarded to the point where nobody truly knew what he thought of them, but I know this world is a poorer place without him. I hope Stefan knew how many people thought so highly of him.

JLAmber wrote:We were sometimes friends, sometimes sparring partners. Stefan was guarded to the point where nobody truly knew what he thought of them, but I know this world is a poorer place without him. I hope Stefan knew how many people thought so highly of him.

Well stated.

HT-ETNW wrote:The wording in the obituary leaves some room for options and speculations. But I think we should end our speculations in this thread and respect the privacy of Stefan's family.
-HT

Must be tough for his family, first the mother and then the brother.

https://www.wb-trauer.de/traueranzeigen-suche/gebenus

(scroll down)

I could go on all day about memories of Stefan. I was reminded recently of a gig in a Hamburg stadium and the bizarre pizza place in HAM (I really hope that's still there). Safe to say, he would have enjoyed this: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C64Ymk2h ... c3am5yaA==

I never met Stefan, but he always came across as a friendly, fair and knowledgeable guy.
His love of all things aviation was very clear, as was his sense of fun.

Very sad to hear of his passing, my thoughts are with his family and friends.