From Marshini Chetty

Gary was one of the kindest, most down to earth, and generous people I have ever known. He was my friend, my colleague, my mentor, my biggest supporter, and my go-to person for advice from the start of my academic career. It was his passion for HCI that sparked my interest in the subject. He was the one who advised me on the best graduate schools for HCI in the US when I decided to do a Ph.D., and he was the one that introduced me to some of the nicest people I know in the field, including the dearest Susan Dray who started this blog. I met up with him at every CHI conference for our annual lunch, I saw him every time I visited Cape Town, and I was lucky enough to work with him on the ICTD conference right up until a few weeks ago. Of course, words can’t express the loss I feel for this dear soul who touched my life, like so many others, in countless ways.

One of my favorite memories of him is during a particularly stressful time in my Ph.D. when I was trying to settle on a research direction, when he was stuck in Atlanta with Matt Jones (and many other CHI attendees) because of the volcanic eruption in Iceland. He told me that rather than focusing on trying to change the world with my Ph.D., that I should think of it as a drivers license. That the best thing I could do was to stick a topic, do the work, graduate, and gain the credentials. Then, he said, I could follow my true passions and start doing the work I really wanted to do. Those words helped me immensely and I still give that advice out to others facing similar struggles. When I close my eyes, I imagine that Gary is smiling at us wherever he is, enjoying the most amazing carpets he’s ever seen, and helping us as we try to continue his work as best we can. Thank you Gary for everything you gave us – I miss you already and I pray for your family, friends, and colleagues who are all processing your sudden and unexpected departure.