It is with a very heavy heart that I write this. My very dear friend, Kevin Downing, passed away suddenly while travelling back from the United Kingdom to Hong Kong. Despite an emergency landing, it was too late. His passing was tragic, sudden, and utterly devastating.
What makes this loss even more difficult to bear is how real and immediate he still was to me. I had arrived in Hong Kong on Saturday, a few days before we were due to meet for dinner on Wednesday night. I texted him to remind him, and he replied almost instantly with a thumbs up. Such a small, ordinary exchange – the kind you never imagine will become unforgettable. And then, the very next day, he was gone. Even now, I struggle to comprehend how someone can be making plans with you one moment, and be taken from this world the next.
I have known Kev for more than 20 years, and across all those years, he was, unfailingly, a loyal, caring, and deeply dependable friend.
We met several times a year during my time with my former company, often in different cities and different parts of the world. Kev was present at many of my events and conferences, and over the years, he became a constant in my professional life and, more importantly, in my personal one. He was not just someone who showed up. He showed up with heart, with humour, with brilliance, and with an energy that lifted the room.
When I left my old company to start AppliedHE, just a few months before the world shut down because of Covid, life became unbelievably difficult. Those years were brutal. There was no income, no certainty, and no relief from the mounting debts and overheads. Starting a business in such a climate felt almost impossible. Many people disappeared. Many looked away. That is the reality of the world we live in. When you have a big brand behind you, everyone wants to be associated with you. When you are a struggling start-up with no established name, many simply do not see you.
But Kev saw me. And more than that, he stood by me.
He supported me in every way he could. He gave what little business he was able to. He spoke at my webinars when webinars were all we had. He lent his voice, his credibility, his presence, and his belief to help me tell the world that AppliedHE existed. When support mattered most, Kev was there – quietly, consistently, and without hesitation.
That is who he was.
Kev had a wicked sense of humour and a remarkable command of words. He was, quite simply, a showman in the best possible sense. When he delivered a keynote or took the stage, people listened. He had that rare gift of holding a room completely. His voice was warm and commanding, his timing impeccable, and his presence unforgettable. He could make people think deeply and laugh wholeheartedly, often at the same time. Our Academic Debates were all the better for him, and many of them had audiences in stitches because Kev knew exactly how to bring intellect, wit, and humanity together in one performance.
We had plans. He was due to retire at the end of this year, and we had imagined travelling the world together, sharing AppliedHE’s vision and the distinctive work we had both come to believe in, including our approach of giving public and private universities the separate recognition they deserve. He would have continued doing what he did so brilliantly: speaking, engaging, provoking thought, and bringing life to every stage he stepped onto. It is so hard to accept that those plans will now remain only plans.
What makes Kev’s passing so difficult to bear is not only its suddenness, but the simple fact that he was such a good man – one of the best of us. He was guided by integrity, decency, and an unwavering sense of what was right. He supported me when others turned away. He remained steadfast when it would have been easier to be distant. In a world that can often feel transactional and materialistic, Kev was real. He was genuine. He was kind.
There is nothing I can say that will ever make this loss feel fair, and nothing that can truly fill the void Kev has left in my life. But I will hold on to the immense gratitude of having known him, of having shared so many years of friendship, laughter, work, and memories with him. Kev was one of those rare people whose presence made life better – sharper, warmer, and more meaningful. He believed in me when it mattered, stood by me when others drifted away, and gave of himself with a generosity that I will never forget. I will miss his voice, his wit, his brilliance, and the comfort of knowing he was always there. Kevin Downing will live on in my heart, forever cherished, forever respected, and forever loved as a true friend.
So here’s to you, Kev – I raise a glass of white in your honour.
Written by:
Mandy Mok
CEO & Founder
AppliedHE
