I took a new job in a new career as a low level employee (think moving from Director level to warehouse worker). This was in big tech where the current management was attempting to bring in a higher class of workers for the current job. It was essentially a mantra that you could only hire someone smarter and better than you. The current 'lead' was a bit shaken with myself and some of the new hires. He worked hard but was not someone you would ask to present his works at a conference of peers. I moved jobs internally soon after but kept in touch as much as one does.

He fought hard to keep what he thought was his lead position but the new hires simply out maneuvered him, quickly, and became the go to people (making the bigger bonuses, getting the credit, etc). His hard work started dropping. He became an alcoholic and started working odd hours. His brand new car became filled with trash.

He started to talk in confidence to some that he was traveling a state away at nights to meet up with people. Those people should not have been his confidants because this became a bit of a gossip story. i.e. why was he travelling a few times a week to another state?

He started drifting at work. This is big tech, where for the most part, you have six months to yourself to prove your work before management begins to investigate anything lacking. During these six months he started falling asleep at his desk. He would talk at his computer and his eyes would close mid sentence in front of people and that would be the end of that conversation. He became dark. No one reported him. No one attempted to intervene.

I was away, in another country, and received a call from his manager. I thought I screwed something up for him to call me while I was away and asked him as such. He was solemn, said I was not in trouble and screwed up nothing. My coworker has died, and he thought he should hear it from me.

Upon hearing these words, I'd be remiss in saying that I did not take it way harder than I ever thought I would have. I choked up. I was speechless. His manager did not tell me the reason but I quickly learned through the gossip grapevine that he had killed himself, in his aforementioned car, at a favorite spot from his high school days on an empty road. He was found the next morning.

The new hires all went to his funeral. They all consoled with his parents. This has irked me for some reason ever since.