Re: iSeries NEWS editor Gary Guthrie -- MIDRANGE-L

I'm really sorry. I thought it was a public link. The newsletter is below.

At 3/21/2003 06:20 PM +1200, you wrote:

I guess it was an accident but one of the truly infuriating things I experience on occasion is to chase a link only to find it's a members only link.

Can you (well not you specifically, but whoever) do the rest of us the courtesy of indicating its a "membership required" page when you post a link ?
The Loss of  Friend
http://www.iseriesnetwork.com/resources/clubtech/index.cfm?fuseaction=ShowNewsletterIssue&ID=16270

The Loss of a Friend:

Today you are not receiving your usual technical newsletter because it is my sorrowful responsibility to inform you that Gary Guthrie, the author of this regular e-mail newsletter, passed away last Thursday evening. Many of you have enjoyed his writings over the years, but you may have never known of his constant battles with his health and his courage and determination to beat the overwhelming odds that were always before him. Gary spent most of his life in a wheelchair, outlived the many predictions by doctors regarding how long he would live, and remained completely dedicated to hard work to provide for his children after he was gone.

I first met Gary shortly after he began writing for us in September 1995. The after-effects of a severe case of polio at age two had battered his body and left him physically thin. However, I quickly learned that this didn't get in his way. There were times that he had to allow others to help him. I recall carrying him, with the help of others, in his chair down the stairs several times, but I never recall thinking of Gary as a weak person. Gary was one of the strongest people I have known. Gary's strength came from many sources. Gary insisted that others view him as an equal and not see him as needy. He had a sense of pride that was admirable concerning his ability to take care of himself.

His strength also came from his hunger to learn as much as possible and
contribute as much as possible. Gary had a great desire to devour technical
knowledge. Even more, he loved to share that information with you. He enjoyed
knowing that he made a difference by providing helpful and meaningful advice,
tips, and knowledge to you all.

His strength came from his determination to provide for his children. Early in his life, Gary knew that his life would be shorter than most. With that in mind, he had a focus on working as hard as possible to save for the future financial security of his children. Having children of my own, I can fully appreciate his complete love for them and his desire to make sure their life would be supported. Gary spoke of his children often and willed himself to live through adversity for their good.

Gary represented so much strength, so much talent, and so much genuine care for his friends. I was fortunate to have Gary as a peer in business and as a friend. Gary was always willing to make time for friends and always concerned for the well-being of his friends. You, as readers, were friends in a remote way. He took great joy in writing to you. He enjoyed the limited opportunities he had to actually meet you. He found great satisfaction in his life while contributing part of himself to all of us.

We have lost a good man.

Wayne Madden
Publisher/Editor in Chief
_______________________________________

It seems impossible that Gary Guthrie is gone. Among the gurus of IBM computing, Gary was one of the best. Ask any of the thousands of people he helped with OS/400 technical questions and you'll hear that Gary had an uncommon skill with technology, and an amazing ability to help others with that skill.

Gary personified the word altruistic. Among our cadre of iSeries and ePro writers, editors, and staff Gary was the go-to guy for any iSeries technical issue. He spent far more than an ordinary eight-hour day working from his Texas desk by all means electronic.

Gary helped people by phone, e-mail, fax, on the Web, and in hundreds of published technical articles. He leaves an enormous legacy of material and is truly an irreplaceable person in our community. At this writing, I'm certain the significance of this loss, already sorely felt, isn't fully apparent to us.

Many people were unaware of Gary's trying health difficulties. I won't go into details because I know Gary would not want me to. He eschewed sympathy for his condition, and only asked that he have the same access to life as everyone else. But you should know that Gary's abilities and prolific writing are all the more amazing because he achieved them in spite of a burden few others carry.

Anyone who knows Gary knows he did not suffer fools gladly. Traveling required special arrangements, and occasionally some condescending bureaucrat or ill- advised regulation would block the way. Gary always surmounted these obstacles, and the obstacle wasn't just overcome, it was vaporized. I admired Gary's ability to get to his goal in the face of such opposition, and I learned how to persevere from his example.

For me personally, Gary was a much-loved and dear friend, and his loss I sorely feel. No memorial can capture the bonds of camaraderie that come from facing down thorny technical problems while sitting around a campfire in the Rocky mountains. I can't adequately explain a friendship that grew over years of conferences, e-mails, phone calls, and shared battles with technology. I only know that few could possibly contribute as much wisdom, character, and friendship to our community.

Mel Beckman
Senior Technical Editor
____________________________________________________

Gary Guthrie first came to our attention in 1995 as a prolific contributor to our old NEWSlink BBS on Compuserve. His broad knowledge of AS/400 programming and sys admin and his obvious desire to be helpful to others led us to recruit him as a technical editor. We soon discovered that he was an excellent writer as well. Gary quickly took over our Tech Corner department because he loved making sure that your questions got answered. And he willingly volunteered for other tasks such as testing the code for the utilities we published, editing the print newsletter The RPG Source, authoring the Starter Kit for the iSeries and AS/400, and serving as a key advisor on our magazine and online content.

Gary was extremely loyal to NEWS -- its editors and its readers -- and to the
iSeries community. We have all lost an extraordinary friend and resource. Gary
was 49 and is survived by his son Josh, a high school junior, and his daughter
Shannon, who is in 8th grade. The March of Dimes was very helpful to Gary and
his family during his childhood struggles with polio. Please remember Gary the
next time you receive a request to help that organization.

Dale Agger Editorial Director