though Adam was a friend of mine I did not know him well
he was alone into his distance, he was deep into his well
Jackson Browne
No, I never met David Foster Wallace, but I do think it would have been interesting. His death, likely self inflicted, is a loss for anyone who loves words, because DFW certainly loved words.
I would encourage anyone to read his book of short stories: Girl with Curious hair simply for the sheer joy of watching how he constructs worlds from language.
I have no desire to know how or why he chose to end his life so prematurely. I do think the best tribute any of us who have read his work can provide is to recommend him to others. I do so without hesitation. I do so with more than a little sadness.