I think I know who you're talking about, and it is indeed a ****ty break to a great guy. Was doing great work for three months, then bam. Have your severance pay to cover the rest of a year's lease.
A woman I work with spent her entire weekend moving all of her things to a different part of an office building as we were configuring the office. After she got everything set up in her new part of the building, they cut her loose.