Posted this on www.mr400.com too:
I don?t recall when I first saw Al, but it was most likely at my first
COMMON conference in New Orleans 1992. I know that I knew his reputation
when my IBM rep and I drove from Chicago to Grand Rapids, Michigan to hear
him speak on CISC-to-RISC conversion.
Al was great and amazingly available. I contacted him just last month
around the time of the DST switch to ask about the way the OS handles time
and we had a nice conversation. He told me how happy he was with V6R1
(down to a just a single digit number of issues, great for an OS release
so new). As he stated at the COMMON meeting, he'd let us know if it
wasn't good. Who of us who was around could forget his public
announcement that "V3R1 SUCKS!"
He barely knew me, but talking with Al always made you feel you were
talking with an old friend. He attended my Image Catalog session a
conference or two ago, and lended me his laser pointer when mine went on
the fritz. I had to run after him after the session when I forgot to give
it back. He took the time to tell me how much he liked my session. That
meant a lot coming from so seasoned a speaker.
I didn't have time to speak with him in person this COMMON meeting, and
I'm upset that I'll never again have that chance.
He was a constant in the community. I always felt a certain connection
with him, being more on the sys admin side than development. Developers
will probably always outnumber SA's, so it was great to count on great
sessions from Al that had nothing to do with the latest RPG tips.
I remember his 400>390 buttons, and his sys values session. How I hate
that I didn't make time to see it's latest version, with a handout that
must resemble a phone book by now!
When I heard the news, I felt so disconnected. Al Barsa passed away. I
almost thought, that's a coincidence. There is a guy here named Al Barsa.
It felt like it couldn't possibly be the same guy.
I remember the morning of September 11th. Aside from news going out on
midrange-l (sometimes faster than then CNN, etc.), there was the thought
of Al. He had many customers in the towers and folks were wonder if he was
OK. Eventually, he got on to tell us he was.
I'm just so sad that this time, he won't log on to let us know that, sure,
it was some other Al that passed on.
People come and go, but Al was always there.
I'm sure somewhere he's upgrading all the big guy's boxes to V6R1...
Jeff Carey
System i Manager
Newedge Facilities Management Inc.
181 W. Madison Street
Chicago, IL 60602
Office: 312-578-5282
Cell: 312-590-2875
Jeffrey.Carey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Trevor Perry <trevor@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent by: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
04/05/2008 09:48 PM
Please respond to
Midrange Systems Technical Discussion <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
To
Midrange Systems Technical Discussion <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
cc
Subject
Re: Al Barsa
Pete,
Thanks for posting this site. We set the site up to tell our stories about
Al. We all have some great memories, and this is what www.mr400.com is all
about. At the appropriate time, we would like to share this with Al's
family. So, the more stories, the better.
Right now, it seems that for many of us, it is impossible to put into
words
the impact of losing Al. We just saw him this week, and he was Al - as
always. He came with his New York attitude, his pure heart and the
never-ending enthusiasm of an excited boy. It is hard to imagine the world
without Al.
For me, Al and I had found a place where I could tease him, and he would
lap
it up. He even found a way of digging me back with a twinkle in his eye,
and
treating me like his friend the next second.
I will miss Al.
Trevor
On 4/5/08 10:28 PM, "Pete Helgren" <Pete@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
There is also a guestbook set up here: http://www.mr400.com/ where you
can leave condolences if you like.
Pete Helgren
midrange.com
