What a beautiful eulogy to someone that you clearly formed a connection with in Chiang Mai. Whilst he might not have been a saint, he clearly made a big enough difference to compel you to write of his passing and for many people he touched to attend his memorial service.
I don't believe that gravestones or plaques are a memorial to those that have passed on. The true memorial of a person is formed from the stories that are told by the people that remember them.
RE: Something bad has happened