[SAGE] Eric's thoughts on Chuck

[Eric Allman <eric@sendmail.org>]

I've been upset about this all day.  I haven't been able to quite 
figure out what to say.

I've known Chuck long enough that I honestly can't remember when I 
met him.  It must have been at USENIX, but I couldn't even guess 
which year or which city.  I'm not sure if he worked in the financial 
world (read: "suits") then, but somehow that's my early association. 
This long-haired, bearded, kind of hippy guy in a posh suit. 
Frankly, I can't believe he actually dressed that way at USENIX 
(although there is photographic evidence that he did wear a suit at 
Sendmail on occasion; we deeply hope those were jokes).  But that's 
still my remembrance.

When Chuck was working at Sendmail he (for a while) had the cube 
right outside my office.  I'll be honest -- frankly, he could be 
downright annoying sometimes.  I would be working on something that 
required my entire attention, usually something boring, and he would 
pop his head in and make some off the wall comment that was always 
more interesting than whatever I was working on.  He was always 
excited about it, always thought it was cool or interesting or 
noteworthy.  And of course it was.  It might have been easier if 
Chuck were boring -- then I could have simply ignored him.  As it was 
he was deeply disruptive, but in the best possible way.

The other thing that struck me about Chuck was his continual positive 
attitude.  We could be in the midst of the most depressing customer 
problem and he would still be up-beat.  Mind you, he didn't lose the 
gravity of the situation, and he could be deep and sad and intense. 
But he was never depressed, at least not that I saw.

A great person, and an unfair end to a too-short life.  The universe 
has shrunk in some small but important way.

eric