Iwata was a legend. He wasn't someone I agreed with 100% of the time in regards to his decisions as president (and who is?), but he proved himself to be an extremely capable leader, navigating Nintendo through some of its most successful years.
It was in the low point of the Wii U era, however, that Iwata did something that ultimately shaped my opinion of him. When the company failed to meet its financial goals, instead of firing people and closing departments, he slashed his own salary in half. This speaks volumes in a time when companies like EA and Activision fire developers even in times of plenty, all in order to further boost the millionaire salaries of their top executives.
Those quotes are so heartwarming. In fact, whenever Itoi talks about Iwata, I know I will have a sad smile on my face when I finish reading it.