NEED HELP PLEASE WITH WORDING FOR SYMPATHY CARD

[MrsBigD]

My boss just asked me to come up with some wording for a sympathy card he would like to send to a business associate as English isn't his first language... well it's mine neither so I've got no idea what to write?

Any suggestions please?

Thank you

Well, do either of you know much about the reasons for the card being sent? Presuming it's a bereavement. Wording might vary slightly depending on whether the associate has lost an aged parent, a spouse or a child

oh sorry... the associate is the one who died from a heart attack and the card is to his colleagues

brief and simple
"thnking of you at this difficult time, from xxxxx"

English not being his first language shouldn't matter. No-one will criticise the grammar, they'll listen to the feelings in the words.

So, leaving aside the fact that he should write it & it shouldn't be a delegated task [slightly about that bit], it should (i) refer to particular times when they have worked together, (ii) cite a few specific qualities of the person that made those projects a good experience, and (iii) say that he understands that they must all miss him dreadfully. He could also add something about how he hopes that the relationship between Company X and Consultancy Y will continue, but to my ears that's a bit networky.

The bottom line is: be personal and SPECIFIC.

Dear X's collegues

We are so very sorry to hear the news about x, he will be missed by us all.

Our thoughts are with you at this sad time.

Names.......

I'm so sorry to hear about xxx, he will be sorely missed.

With greatest sympathy, yyy.

binkie... I know what you mean, but what am I to do? He's the boss after all...

thanks for all the suggestions

Um, I guess my recommendation is for a sympathy letter not a brief card. Guess it rather depends on how close the relationship is.

(I wrote one like mine for a charming foreign lawyer I had just got to know, who died suddenly half-way through our deal. Never met him but firm knew him well & I wanted to say something. It was only a couple of sentences really.)

binkie - don't think they were that close really. Just a business associate as far as I know. then again boss has a habit of only giving 1/2 of the required information...