We could not let the sad passing of our friend James Valentine occur without acknowledging his contribution to our work as well as our profound sorrow at his untimely demise.

James was a great supporter of Flat Chat, if only by regularly allowing us to come on to his Afternoons show on ABC 702 to field questions about problems in strata life.

However, in typical Valentine fashion, he occasionally invited listeners to call in with positive comments rather than complaints about living in apartments.

The details of his life, first as a musician and then as a brilliant radio host are online here on the ABC website, as are tributes from friends, colleagues and political figures from the Prime Minister down.

I can’t count myself among his closest friends – he had so many more who loved him and will miss him greatly.

But I last saw him about six months ago when, in a “good week” between his debilitating chemo treatments, we spent a couple of hours together during which he told me he was writing a crime novel interwoven with his memories of life on the road with The Models. I hope he finished it because it would be as brilliant as he was.

As well as supporting Flat Chat, James spoke at the launch of Mole Creek my first crime novel under the name James Dunbar and generously gave the book a cover endorsement.

Flat Chat still has a regular slot on ABC Afternoons, now with James O’Loghlin, but it was James Valentine who first brought us to his devoted following.

According to reports today, he wanted the world to know that he chose his own departure using voluntary assisted dying. And that’s JV to a tee – living life to the full and making it count, with humour, insight and dignity, right up to the very end.