Man, this really sucks. He had a super-distinctive voice, and it was always fun picking him out as bit characters in FUNi dubs. It amazed me how he was able to take Fuhrer Bradley from a kindly, dignified leader to an incredibly menacing presence over the course of a few lines. Fuck cancer.
On a much lighter note, since I'm finally mostly caught up, can someone tell me what the actual fuck Sand Whale was supposed to be? I mean I know Oshii is all about navel-gazing, but Christ, that was ridiculous.