RePlay is sad to report that industry veteran Kjeld Erichsen of Bandai Namco Amusement Europe passed away last month shortly after celebrating his 60th birthday on Sept. 3. For years, he had fought “a courageous battle with multiple myeloma,” Bandai Namco said.

Erichsen was noted as a popular personality in the amusement industry community, and served as Bandai Namco’s international business development manager.

James Anderson, commercial and sales director of BNAE, wrote: “Our company and indeed the whole industry has lost a legend and a dedicated ‘family member’ whose in-depth knowledge of the amusement industry will be hard to be replicated. Everyone at BNAE is deeply shocked. Kjeld was a remarkable man; for 12 years he fought his illness with outstanding optimism and constant humour throughout. We have the utmost respect for him and offer our heart-felt sympathy to his family.”

He began his 27 years in the industry with Nova Apparate in Germany before joining Namco in 2001. A funeral took place Sept. 21 in Copenhagen, Denmark.