The Victim and Witness Assistance Board and MOVA staff mourn the loss of our committed colleague, leader, and good friend, Berkshire County District Attorney Gerry Downing. Gerry died on December 15 of an apparent heart attack. A funeral mass was celebrated on December 18. His death is a tremendous loss for his community, the victim services field, and, above all, for his family. Gerry has been the longest-standing member of the Board due to his professional and personal dedication to victim rights. His cheerful humor lightened many meetings; he reveled in telling a story or anecdote to illustrate a point. He often recounted specific cases he had tried or encounters he had had with a victim or victim’s family. His stories grounded the meetings and reminded us of the people behind the work, both victims and those working hard in the criminal justice system to serve them. We were consistently guided by his thoughtfulness and his wisdom. “My years on the Board have served to deepen my understanding of the importance of the protection and advancement of the rights of victims in our Commonwealth. Dignity, respect, information: simple requests for a person to make of the criminal justice system, especially when they have been suddenly, frighteningly and, perhaps, tragically thrust into its bewildering process. Being a part of the community of advocates which seeks to ensure that those basic needs are met each and every day has made service on the MOVA Board not only professionally rewarding, but personally gratifying.” -Gerry Downing, June 2002 Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, the Berkshire County DA’s Office, and his many friends and colleagues.