RIP Hugh Daniel, Hacker

[beamjockey]

Hugh Daniel has passed away. He was a good friend for more than three decades.

I have spoken to a member of his family; they haven't yet made funeral plans.

Hugh was known among hackers, among science fiction fans, among privacy advocates, and, no doubt, among people in many more circles beyond I'm not aware of. He was a walking bundle of enthusiasm. This morning, Eric S. Raymond wrote, "World will be a duller place with Hugh gone." Amen to that.

Here's my 2011 essay about Hugh.

Comments

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

He was an awesome fellow, it looks like.

[andybeals.livejournal.com]

He was. He most assuredly was.

[apostle-of-eris.livejournal.com]

Thank you for your initiative. I wouldn't know how to find his family.

[beamjockey.livejournal.com]

Actually, Hugh's cousin, whom I have met a few times, called me. Which was very thoughtful of him.

[wyld-dandelyon.livejournal.com]

Oh, no! What happened?

[beamjockey.livejournal.com]

We don't yet know. His housemate found him.

One of his friends said he exchanged messages with Hugh about 6:30 Monday morning, at which point he said he was going off to sleep. As you may know, Hugh often kept irregular hours, so an early-morning bedtime wouldn't be too unusual.

I imagine we'll hear more eventually.

[andybeals.livejournal.com]

"Heart attack" is what's floating about.

[figmo.livejournal.com]

I heard that, too. Steven Silver posted that on sfsite.com. I don't know what his source was, though.

I'm still in shock. Like you and Bill, I knew him for over 30 years.

[bibliofile.livejournal.com]

Well, as one guy said, one of the common symptoms of a heart attack is death. It'd take a LOT to keep Hugh down and quiet, for sure.

[nadja adolf (from livejournal.com)]

According to one fan site, he died of a heart attack. The world is a colder, sadder, and lonelier place now.

Hugh's death reminds me of the volcanic destruction of Mt. St. Helens; for years after I would look up as I headed north on Barbur Blvd., looking to see the perfect ice cream cone mountain ahead of me - and it was no longer there. Hugh was a force of nature, and like the mountain, it seems impossible that he is gone.

I met him through my husband, Michael McClary, who had known Hugh since the early days of the Ann Arbor Computer Club. Time spent with Hugh was always fascinating, enlightening, and amazing. Only a couple of weeks ago he called us on the phone and he and Michael and I spoke for quite a while; the range of subjects went the gamut from one end to the other. To realize that we shall never have such a conversation again in this life is depressing; to realize that all he had to contribute, to do, to enjoy is gone is an unbelievably sad experience.

[beamjockey.livejournal.com]

Thanks for your thoughts.

A lot of families are feeling the same way you are. Hugh was an occasional guest here at the Nuclear Arms, where we'd have the same kind of wide-ranging conversations you describe.

[cannibal.livejournal.com]

Bill, anyone, please talk about Hugh if you make the "Fans who built the Internet" panel at the NASFiC, 10pm thurs the 17th. McClary too!

[morgan gangwere (from livejournal.com)]

I knew hugh for as long as I could remember. It's saddening he's gone.

I heard about it via Kabuki Duke yesterday, once I collected my thoughts I wrapped up some thoughts over on my blog ( http://indrora.tumblr.com/post/52189871663 )

He was definitely one of the most pragmatic, interesting people I've met. The world is quieter, if not out of respect for him. I'll never forget the occasions he spent with my family when I was younger.

[beamjockey.livejournal.com]

I appreciated reading your blog entry about Hugh.

[(Anonymous)]

Worked closely with him for the last 10 years; he worked with good friends of mine in the earliest days of New Space as well. Exchanged emails about a VM recovery just last weekend. Total shock.

[tlunquist.livejournal.com]

It's a bit bewildering to contemplate, sort of like when Shard died. How is it even physically possible to take that much life out of a body all at once?

I think all of us who were fortunate enough to have the opportunity had at least one of those conversations with Hugh -- the ones that covered nearly every imaginable topic (and a few unimaginable ones), and created odd wrinkles in time where you would think you'd been chatting for a few minutes, and look at your watch to discover that six or seven hours had gone by.

I will miss the bigger-than-lifeness of him, the sparkle in his eyes, the unique perspective he brought to the world. It is monumentally unfair that he is gone.

[gary barnhard (from livejournal.com)]

It seems that there is a conspiracy afoot to space Hugh Daniel, as in sending at least a part of him on a deep space voyage courtesy of Celestis and the Sunjammer mission.
Check out his memorial website at http://hugh.xisp.net