I did not know Cary personally, but I did have the pleasure of learning from him for several years. I even had the pleasure of several message board exchanges with Cary in the Macworld area of America Online. He took the time to reply and make personal contact.
In this era of instant communication and connectivity with thousands or even millions, Cary took the time to reply to several of my comments, moans and groans. Because his work was in a public arena, anyone had the right to criticize it. Cary always seem to respond gracefully and eloquently. Most importantly, he responded. He let you know he was accessible. He also always signed his name to his work. As our network of computers and online community grows, this, I hope, will become a standard as well. If one has the ability to publish their ideals and thoughts to the world, one must have the courage to let the world know who they are.
In these ways, Cary has been a pioneer. He embraced computing, and shared his vision of it with others. My life is better because of it.