It is a true privilege to work with a colleague who can consistently teach and inspire those around him. We are fortunate to have worked with Dr. J. Randall (“Randy”) Curtis for most of our careers. We have been his mentees, collaborators, peers, and – for the past seven years – his co-Directors on a National Institutes of Health (NIH) palliative care research training grant.1 In these roles, we have watched Randy mentor and advise over 50 trainees and faculty who share his goals of advancing clinical research and improving the experiences of patients with serious illness and their families.