Gary passing away so early is a terrible loss. Our heart-felt condolences go to his family, and also the UCT community and his wider “family” of colleagues, current and former students and collaborators.
It was a great pleasure to work with Gary on previous ICTD conferences and to witness his commitment to making them both excellent and inclusive. Just this December he was a terrific host, together with Julian May, when the ICT4D community came together at ICTD2013 on UCT’s campus. Gary radiated friendliness and joy at having brought people together for a great event, while characteristically also cracking jokes about the colourful shirts the chairs had chosen as their uniform.
One of the last times I saw Gary was when we were watching the livestream of the memorial event honouring Nelson Mandela on the big screen in one of the conference lecture halls and discussing future collaborations among a number of colleagues. While we were talking and watching the event, it was impossible to not sense the call to continue the ongoing struggle for social change.
Like many, I have benefitted intellectually from Gary’s publications and admired the powerful combination of progressive commitment and technical expertise that characterised his work. Most of all, Gary was a leader because of what he stood for and modelled in his behaviour: a sharp intellect combined with a big heart, a clear commitment to mentoring, a great sense of humour, and a passion for co-creating change. Gary no doubt leaves a huge hole in our midst – and also an important legacy.
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