Opposed to the worst fears of some of us: he's not dead
I found his entry on LinkedIn a few weeks ago, with recent additions. I then sent him an invitation which he accepted after a bit.
Unfortunately he hasn't responded with a message of his own, he just accepted the invitation. I also suggested he'd come and say hello on the forums, which he hasnt done obviously.
I waited a few weeks to give him a chance to respond, but apparently he doesn't feel like or can't keep us his contact with us. But at least he's still around. Thought you'd be happy to hear that at least.