I think it speaks volumes of a person's character when even corporate rivals express their condolences over Mr. Iwata's passing...
I feel that Mr. Iwata had certain qualities as CEO that I can only hope other gaming company executives, hell, company executives in general, look to as an example.
It was only recently I had discovered that before his time at the helm of Nintendo, he was also a programming wizard and helped bring many of my childhood games to life,
Pokémon Gold and Silver being chief among them.
Thank you for everything, Iwata-san.
In related news:
Shigeru Miyamoto, Satoru Shibata & Reggie Fils-Aime speak on Iwata’s passing
Hip Tanaka remixes Balloon Fight theme for Iwata Tribute