When I think of Cary Lu, fond memories come forth.
Cary interviewed me in 1983 for a position at High Technology Magazine. The entire interview experience was rather intimidating and so, to me, seemed Cary. At the time, I had no foreknowledge that Cary would become a special person in my life, a mentor.
Cary had a significant position at High Technology and I...did not. Fortunately for me, Cary did not subscribe to preconceived views regarding hierarchy in the organization. He was quick to accept me for who I was, but equally comfortable in encouraging me to open up and explore the world around me whenever I had a question. In retrospect, one moment in time stands out. I asked Cary if he would permit me to come in on the weekend and teach myself how to use his expensive state of the art IBM AT. He graciously and (I now believe perhaps gleefully) agreed to my request. The memories continue. He let me play on one of the very first Macintosh PC's that he brought back after writing his at the time top-secret book. Being the gracious teacher, he then complimented me on my intuitive use of the mouse. He lent me a little luggable Orion computer so I could teach myself Lotus 1-02-3. I believe Cary did these things for me because he had a love of technology and an equal passion for opening doors of the mind. He did this with a true teacher's skill...letting me believe I was pulling all the strings, not Cary.
Of course, none of this would have happened for me personally if Cary hadn't been simply who he was. He was direct, smart and funny. Cynthia Rainey and I always gravitated to his office while he was there. He'd be doing his thing and then throw out a scientific fact for us to ponder or a puzzle to solve (perhaps to distract us and prevent us from destroying something). She and I would mess around with the computers and always end up learning something. Cary knew how to make learning natural and fun and get us all laughing. When Cynthia and I were talking about our horoscopes, Cary chimed in that his sign was "Neon". Cary enjoyed life and appreciated harmony. When out at dinner, he explained at some depth the beauty of the yin and yang of a well made mushi pancake, crispy on one side and soft on the other. Cary and Ellen were a very happy and harmonious couple and it was fun to see them together.
I consider myself a very lucky person to have Cary Lu in my life.
Thank you, Cary.