Sorry about the loss of your friend.
Being the son of an Eastern pilot I remember as a kid closely witnessing the golden age of our profession.
Like you, I can listen for hours to stories from that era. Pilots in those days were united as a group, stood their ground and loved their company's as well. My how things have changed.
Back then, if pilots from different companies saw each other in a coffee shop, they would sit down and have breakfast together. Today most pilots from our own company won't even make eye contact in the terminal.
Very sad!