I awakened, as many did, to the news that Anthony Bourdain, chef and restaurateur, food critic and television host of “Parts Unknown,” had committed suicide. On the heels of Kate Spade’s death, this seemed like a double whammy, although it neither deepens the loss of him nor lessens hers. But this somehow seemed more sad to me personally, because I relate much more to the world of food than fashion. That a chef who had taught us all so much about cuisine and a sense of place, not to mention the politics and the people who live there, would take his own life, conjured up an unusual sense of sorrow.

Like many others, I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking: He seemed happy? He seemed fine? What more could he have wanted? But as we all know, suicide is complex and encompasses so much more: People who seem happy aren’t, and the people who seem most unhappy, still are not often suicidal. Still, there’s a reason Bourdain’s death will rock many. He was a part of the original group of celebrity chefs, who finally demonstrated for the rest of us on national television why our obsession with food has so much more to do than with just food.