In Memoriam - Donny George Youkhanna 1950-2011

I just found out that Donny George Youkhanna, former Director General of the Baghdad National Museum, passed away yesterday in Toronto. He apparently collapsed in the Toronto airport, was taken to hospital, and passed away there.
He was a brave and brilliant man who worked tirelessly to protect Iraqi heritage and antiquities before and during the Second Gulf War. I had the pleasure of meeting him and hearing him lecture in 2004 while I was a graduate student.
He was forced to leave Iraq with his family due to threats from militants and a lack of financial and other support from the international community in helping to protect sites and artifacts in Iraq and to stem the looting and trade in antiquities but continued his efforts to protect Iraq's cultural heritage.