My sincere condolences to Ajay's wife Jennifer and his daughters Amanda and Jolene. Wishing you a lot of strength for the time to come. Ajay's presence will be deeply missed.
To Ajay:
Thank you for having been a great colleague and friend. You weren’t just our colleague; you were our inspiration, our guide, and often the heart of every room you walked into. You approached your work not as a job, but as a calling—dedicating yourself with unmatched passion and care to ensure the safety of every seafarer. You didn’t just talk about safety; you lived it. You studied, learned, and pushed all of us to do better, never resting in your pursuit of zero accidents. Every injury affected you as if it were your own, and every near miss inspired you to pick up the phone, check in, and make things right. Because that’s who you were—dedicated, compassionate, and endlessly committed to making shipping safer.
But you weren’t just a champion for safety—you were also someone who cared deeply and went above and beyond for others. I’ll forever remember the time you moved mountains during the early Covid days, making dozens of calls to port authorities, flag states, and even religious leaders just to ensure one of our seafarers could receive care. You gave your all to those who needed you, and in doing so, you taught us what it truly means to lead with empathy and determination.
You also made all of us laugh, Ajay. You had this incredible ability to lighten the mood, no matter the situation. Whether it was filling those awkward silences during conferences with one of your famous jokes or even calming our nerves with your humor—like the time you convinced me my "fever" after wading through murky waters might’ve been caused by flesh-eating bacteria, only to laugh it off and reassure me it was just the broken air conditioning! Those stories, that warmth, and your remarkable ability to connect with people—those are gifts you shared so freely, and they will never be forgotten.
As we say goodbye, we feel the void you’ve left behind, both in our work and in our lives. But more than anything, we feel grateful—grateful for you, Ajay. For your kindness and care. For your wisdom and dedication. For all the ways you made a difference. You’ve touched countless lives, and your legacy will continue in the many ways you’ve inspired us to be better, kinder, safer, and stronger.
We miss you, Ajay. You will always be with us—thank you for everything.
Maren