You are lucky to have had such a mentor and friend. He'll be with you on every river and creek you pursue. I, too, had a friend who was a WWII vetern. Although not a fishing mentor--he was a life mentor. I learned about the war, the great depression and his boyhood in South Dakota. We hunted and fished in Pennsylvania, where he spent the majority of his life. He is missed but never forgotten.
Hang in there...