The Macintosh Community and computer users in general lost a great friend last week with the passing of Cary Lu of cancer. Cary was the author of The Apple Macintosh Book and was a frequent contributor to MacWorld, and other publications. He also served as technology editor of Inc Magazine as well as Children's Television Workshop.
And he was my friend.
Cary was one of the few people in the industry with a passion and deep knowledge about technology combined with the ability to explain things in clear, concise language that anyone could understand.
I met Cary in 1984, the year that my daughter Katherine and Cary's favorite computer the Mac were born. My wife Patti took an instant liking to Cary a compliment greater than any I could pay.
What I remember most about Cary was his sense of humor combined with his wisdom and perspective. Over dinner at various locales (our favorite was a Mexican restaurant in Redwood City, Calif.) we would chat about technology, science and politics. He was a wonderful source of new ideas and a great sounding board for my ideas.
I can't remember ever quoting Cary in print but I'd call him often when I had a question about the Macintosh or any of a number of topics. I hadn't spoken to him for nearly a year so wasn't aware of his illness. Ironically, I tried calling him last week. His voice on the answering machine said something like "Cary and Ellen (his wife) are here but can't come to the phone" I started to leave a message but Ellen picked up and told me that Cary died on Tuesday. What a shock.
Cary was a mench -- a genuinely decent guy who helped make this world a better place to live in. I'll miss him.