The Student LoanDown lost one of its own this past weekend. Our blog designer and friend, the fabulously talented Vincent Lau, passed away on Saturday.

To put it plainly, we're devastated.

I'm usually overflowing with words, but these days I'm having a tough time putting my thoughts together. So I'd like to share with you the following tribute to Vincent, written by my colleague, Ed Terpening:

I remember the first time I met Vincent, when he interviewed for a position on my team. He smiled the whole time! I thought...is he nervous? Does he know something I don't? Is he really THIS genuinely happy?

More than a year later in the job, I can tell you that sunny guy was Vincent — which makes his sudden passing this last weekend at just 31 years old all the more difficult for us at Wells Fargo.

As a reader of this blog, you may not think you know Vincent, but you do. Look at this page — everything but the words are his: the quirky, crowded student desktop and clear navigation. What you see on this blog is the tip of the iceberg, as he contributed in many creative ways that you never saw.

Speaking of desktops, his own messy desk says a lot about him. He was a social "foodie," always bringing in the strangest treats, from Tokyo to Texas. I recall asking him to tidy his work area a bit, but it just wasn't him. Rather than take the time to do that, he'd ask a friend how their game went over the weekend, or help solve a technical problem that he could have easily passed on to someone else.

That was Vincent in a nutshell: people, food, and enjoying life were #1 — cleaning his desk could wait. Well, I've come around. My desk is far too neat. He was a guy who had the right priorities.

Our thoughts are now with Vincent's family in Sugarland, Texas. I want them to know how much he meant to all of us. Of course he was more than just our designer and coworker, he was our friend. Already I miss his mischievous laugh, his wicked cool fashion sense, and his passion for just about everything. I miss his attempts at mocking my Midwestern accent — oh, you betcha! I miss his wacky Facebook messages and his emails filled with exclamation points. I miss fighting him for the last almond chocolate chip cookie. Even if he won, he'd always share.

Goodbye, Vincent — and be at peace.