Dear Soffie,

Barbara and I were very sorry to hear of the passing of Beni. We hope and pray that you and your family can bear this tremendous loss in your life. I believe that the strength of character and fortitude with which you are blessed will be a great help to you.

You and Beni were of so much assistance to us as we tried to survive in our new home there. Beni was unique in his understanding of what I needed to know to interrelate with the many different people in Indonesia. He had an instinctive and practical approach to the personalities in Government; from the Presidents Palace, through the Offices of the Ministers, to the Provincial Governors, Bupatis and Camats. His contacts were unmatched and his guidance, through difficult situations, was precious to me.

His business and professional career must stand out among his peers in Indonesia and throughout the Inco world. But of more importance to me was his warm personal friendliness and loyal helpfulness in my uncertainties at PT Inco. You and Beni – and your father, Soffie – did your best to get me to understand the ” Indonesian way of things “. Beni could always tell me a story illustrating a pertinent lesson in cultural relations and nudging me in the right direction. His quiet, experienced confidence invariably led us to productive results. I remember well his charitable humour and his constant regard for the best qualities in people we met.

I worked closely with Beni over the last twenty years of my time at Inco and it is now almost twenty years since I retired.

Beni remains at the top of the pyramid of remarkable people I have known. And you, Soffie, were the magic strength and support that buoyed Beni to those heights.

With sadness at the end of a magnificent Life.

Yours truly,

Jim Guiry