Bob Brandon was a true professional and a great human being. A television photojournalist for more than 40 years, Brandon died in December at the age of 63 while awaiting a kidney transplant.

Even though most people who knew him were aware that he was sick, his death still came as a shock to many of us. He was larger than life, after all–an award-winning photographer, a generous teacher, a devoted dad, and a heck of a lot of fun at a party. It was hard to believe he was gone.

Brandon’s friends remembered him at a memorial service in Denver a week ago. NBC’s Bob Dotson produced this lovely video tribute, edited by Kevin Hartfield of KCNC-TV:

I had the privilege of working with Brandon on 48 Hours when I was a reporter at CBS News and later as a fellow trainer at video storytelling workshops. He really was “a poet with a camera” and a talented, exacting teacher who helped make the business better. He’ll be missed.