Dear :

It's a great pleasure to respond to your request for a reference for [name], who was our [position] for the past years.

We are sorry to lose [name] because of his relocation to [place]. He was almost entirely responsible for the daily operation of our [department]. His management skills were fully demonstrated in [work, project].

If you need a production manager who is responsible, competent, and has potential for advancement, you should hire [name].

Sincerely yours,

[name]

[title]