My heart sank too when I read this. I feel emotional about it as I know he found GameEx and the forums to be a little escape from his worries. Rest in Peace. Makes me want to treasure every moment I have.
Just to add... the official Dolphin page has moved, it's now http://dolphin-emu.org They have a bit more information on requirements in the new faq they are recommending the i5-2500k