A Tribute to Rich Stevens

by Rik Farrow
<[email protected]>

On September 1, 1999, USENIX member, author, and lecturer Rich Stevens died. The cause of death has not been revealed.

Stevens was a familiar sight at USENIX seminars, and that is where I first met him. We were both teaching in San Francisco, and I got to sit in on his network programming class one morning.

USENIX has a reputation for engaging good teachers, but Stevens was exceptional. His teaching was crystal clear; he was always patient with any questioner; and he never talked down to anyone. I found his knowledge of TCP/IP and UNIX networking extraordinary, and that information was just as clearly presented in his books.

Personally, I always found Rich friendly and supportive. Even with his great success, he was still very accessible, helping me whenever I asked.

When I was approached about writing this, someone suggested that I ask around for other people's comments on Rich. The responses appear below.

Evi Nemeth wrote, "Rich's volume 2 of TCP/IP Illustrated was the definitive TCP reference for the IETF. I often saw questions posted to various IETF lists like 'which TCP are you talking about?' and then bunches of answers back saying TCP from Stevens volume 2 page xxx. Rich has trained most of the folks who know network programming with his books and tutorials."

Trent Hein said, "Rich was a brilliant writer and instructor, and his books and teachings did an enormous amount to spread the gospel of TCP/IP. One of the stories I tell most often about Rich is how I came to own a copy of the movie Wayne's World II. Rich's publisher was giving out copies because his book, UNIX Network Programming, appears in the arms of Garth's girlfriend. When the publisher gave me the videotape, I thought, 'Hmmm, I wonder who had to pay a license fee here?' Later that day, I ran into Rich and asked him about it. His eyes lit up as he said, 'I was sitting in the movie theater with my 13-year-old son, but not paying a whole lot of attention to the movie. Suddenly, my son grabbed my arm and said "Dad, that's your book!" I couldn't believe it. My book was used to define the ultimate geek, and suddenly my son thinks I'm really cool.' Rich was so proud.

"Above all, Rich was a really genuine person. He was always there to lend support, to offer a bit of wisdom, and to be the person that cared when no one else did. I will miss Rich dearly."

Hal Stern reflected that he respected his teaching and his ability to illuminate and explain. "Charles Mingus, late jazz bassist, sums it up well: 'Taking something complex and making it simple is true creativity.' We have lost one of our truly creative."

Tina Darmohray shared her impressions as well. "My only dealings with Rich were via the tutorial circuit. He was a world-class author of several very successful heavyweight texts. I didn't consider myself his equal on any count, but he never treated me as less than such. He was always friendly and approachable, and easy to converse with on any topic.

"I still vividly remember leaving the Interop instructors' hotel in Washington, D.C. one morning on the way to teach; I was a few paces behind Rich. He had his carry-on luggage with him. With young children at home, I was always interested in how to minimize my time on the road and it had never occurred to me that I could leave right after I taught a course, until I saw Rich that morning. At lunch I approached him to talk about it. I had a lot of silly questions: did he feel he was cutting it too close? did he have time to answer attendees' questions afterwards and still make the plane? etc. Rich told me how he planned his itinerary and what his experience had been in doing so. It wasn't technical, but he was willing to share some professional advice with a young instructor who needed it. After that, he always talked to me in the hallways and found ways to compliment my teaching styles. He treated me as an equal, and I always admired and appreciated that. And I learned from his marvelous books, as we all have."

Paul Vixie said, "A lot of us in the network programming field are inconsiderate, ill-mannered, fuzzy-thinking punks. I can remember thinking more than once of Rich as a man too good for the company he kept, myself included. He was a classy guy and he really did just want to do the right thing and for us all to want to do the right thing. I'll miss the example he set, almost as much as I'll miss him personally."

Karen Gettman was Rich's publisher at Addison Wesley, and she wrote: "Rich was my primary advisor, helping me to decide: Should I publish this book? Is this book idea a good one? etc. But, most importantly, he was a friend. I feel his loss keenly. Each day we would exchange mail; sometimes about book ideas, sometimes about runs, sometimes about vacations, sometimes about our families. His mail was always a bright spot in my day. As were his phone calls. I miss him so much.

"Rich was generous with his time and his expertise. Even when I was first learning the field, he was extraordinarily patient and spent a large amount of time teaching me. He was always kind.

"Rich will always be remembered. My life is better for having known him. His generous spirit, his fun sense of humor, and his ability to make anyone he was talking to feel important are all part of the legacy he leaves. I feel lucky to have known and worked with him."

Paul Ebersman had something to say too. "I first met Rich at one of his tutorials, the one using his first TCP/IP Illustrated book. I was amazed at his gift for taking complicated and confusing material and making it comprehensible. His books were also well designed for setting in your lap while you typed on your UNIX box and watching what happens on the Net. To top all this, he was also a very nice, really approachable guy who always had time to chat or answer questions. This is a real loss to the USENIX community."

Finally, from his co-author, Gary Wright: "My relationship with Rich started in 1987 when I began working for him as a co-op student. It was under Rich's guidance that I was given the opportunity to explore TCP/IP, X Windows, and object-oriented programming long before they were considered mainstream technologies. My professional and entrepreneurial careers are the direct result of the opportunities that Rich made available to me over the years. Fortunately, Rich decided to share his skills and experience with many other people through his books and tutorials. He was an outstanding mentor, author, teacher, and friend."

Wright mentioned that Rich was also famous for his chocolate-chip cookies, bringing some whenever he came to visit. You can find his recipes on Rich's Web site: <http://www.kohala.com/start/recipes/recipes.html>.

Rich Stevens is not the only member of our extended community to die this year. Jon Postel died after riding herd on Internet standards and the RFCs since the beginning of Internet time. Mark Weiser passed away last spring.

I did not know Rich as well as I would have wished. But I am greatly saddened at his passing, as he has affected us all with his contributions and his own gentle nature.

The family asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Richard's name to Habitat for Humanity, 2950 E. 22nd Street, Tucson, AZ 85713.