From Ken Banks

I met Gary a few times and we always seemed to joke around more than anything else. I liked that in him. The fact he was doing some incredibly meaningful work, and helping many people on their journeys, yet could be so approachable was a wonderful attribute.

As with everyone, my thoughts go out to his family.

From Neann Mathai

I was not one of Gary's postgrad students and so can't claim to have worked with him extensively, but like many others was hugely impacted by Gary. 

I have no doubt that you have heard these sentiments numerous times already: Gary was an amazing teacher and human being who touched so many lives, even within limited interaction. Since having taken his Honours interaction design module in 2009, I can no longer walk through a door without judging its design qualities. He amazingly managed to make introductory CS lessons on for and while loops extremely funny, which is a testament to true genius (comic and otherwise!), and we all love his predictive text story! 

He was such a big part of the CS department and I will forever be grateful. 

Gary, thank you for your passion and for leading by example. Thank you  for the few, but extremely meaningful conversations we have had. Your thoughts on faith and work, amongst others, will challenge me forever.  

My condolences to his students, you have indeed lost a giant. To his family: thank you for playing the roles you did, which allowed Gary to be who he was in the Department! My sincere condolences and prayers for you, particularly his wife and children. 

From Kentaro Toyama

Gary's death is so unexpected and truly heart-breaking. Like many others, I saw him earlier this month at ICTD in Cape Town, surrounded by his academic fans, and in a wonderful moment when he graciously hosted us all at UCT. It’s hard to accept that that was the last time I’ll see him. Gary was a terrific research colleague in so many ways, but what I will miss most is the person he was – always humble, cheerful, and genuinely good at heart.

From Charlene Elliott

I was Gary's MSc Student in 2003-2005.  Studying at UCT with him as my supervisor was a very stimulating and fulfilling time for me.  Gary was the most passionate educator I have had the privilege of working with.  Professionally he was excited about HCI and other fields of computer science and a clear leader in this area - you can't help but learn from him.   He was a wonderful mentor and had a gift of drawing out the best in me.   He was also so much fun and his students loved his company.  He knew of my love for chocolate and chocolate drinks and would take me to the best place for hot chocolate so that I would be happy to discuss my project! After I finished my degree at UCT we occasionally kept in contact.  He never failed to reply to an email here or there despite how hectically busy he was.  I used so much of what he taught me in my teaching career.  He was a true inspiration.  Because of my fondness of Gary and of how much I grew professionally from his direction, I would always recommend my IT students to go to UCT and do Comp Sci after they finished school!  Gary was a legend and he will be deeply missed.  

Charlene Elliott (previously Beirowski)

From Sinini Ncube

I am deeply saddened that i only met Gary 10 months ago. I first heard of Gary during a student retreat in Switzerland in 2010 when someone advised me to pursue a PhD with him. I then formally met him in person in February this year and was so amazed at his free spirit, openness, friendliness yet being my superior. I can surely say in you was a great mentor. I admired your work and personality as my supervisor. I have gained confidence through your words and approach to life. I remember when i began my PhD and i was busy reading and searching for a topic, so much pressure and stress piling up, i got so much encouragement it was like he was literally holding my hand directing me in many ways. I also remember always after a presentation, he would come up to me or email to speak a word of encouragement that forward we go and also appraise me on growing. I have been postponing writing this email because it feels like i am accepting that he is really gone. You left too early Gary but I know that the values and skills you left in us will be carried on, your academic brilliance will continue as we apply all that you have taught us. Thank you for being a father, a guide and a superb mentor who has nurtured many.

One of the things that amazed me was how much Gary seemed to have time for everyone and everything. When i read what all of you have written about him, its like he had 48hrs a day. On Mondays i remember he would come to the lab and ask us how the weekend was and what we had been up to, so humble he sometimes even made us coffee as we chatted. It was never about work only but he somehow taught us there was more that contributed to good work. I remember one time Gary was rushing home so he could get there before the kids were asleep, after one of our monthly meetings in Cape Town. Thats how much he valued family moments. He even advised me to enjoy getting married for it was really a great thing to do and I should make the most out of it. The fact that he made us meet his family says clearly how much proud of them he was. I already miss you, I cannot believe you gone.

The last thing he said to me, after spoiling us with doughnuts in Nov just before I left, was "Make sure you send us a pic when you in your white dress, cheers Nini" and off he left the lab. Little did I know.....

Gill, Holly and Jake may God truly comfort you and may he shine his face upon you. You are such wonderful people welcoming us into your home, I am glad I had the chance to meet you all. May the good Lord be with you in this trying time. (The Lord is close to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in the spirit).

RIP Gary.

From Anja Venter

I have written and re-written these words numerous times over the last three days. The act of reflection hurts, and it feels as if this process offers my acknowledgment of a new reality - and I am not ready to acknowledge a world without Gary Marsden. Often you find that people wait until death to reflect on how wonderful their loved ones were, with Gary these sentiments of admiration were present even in his life. We gushed about his brilliance and kindness to anyone who would listen - he was just that kind of person: he triggered instant fandom from his students.  

He inexorably changed my life forever and I am thankful for the series of events that afforded me the once in a lifetime opportunity to share place, space and mind with one of the greatest people I could ever plan on knowing.

I was given the e-mail address of one Gary Marsden in 2010 - seeking a place to pursue mobile research after I had an ethical falling out with the advertising industry. As a visual designer, I felt that my skills could be put to better use than continuously trampling on "the little guy" in pursuit of corporate profit. And I had heard about this Irish guy at UCT who was saving the world through mobile technology. He responded with enthusiasm and a carefully considered advice - as I didn't have the credentials to pursue a masters in computer science, he referred me to his colleague and close friend Marion Walton, who became my personal Yoda at the film and media department over those next two years.  Gary offered me a working space in his lab and was always around to offer input, suggest creative collaborations with his students, or design jobs when funds were wearing thin.

If Gary was Nikola Tesla, Marion was his Mark Twain - the stream of discourse that came pouring out when you put the two of them together in a room was electric and inspiring - it taught me that our best ideas emerge in dialogue with others’ ideas, that we radically underestimate how our cognition is driven by collective (and collected) stories, and that it wasn't worth doing something if you weren't excited and passionate about it to the point of moral urgency.  I felt like I had won the lottery when Gary became my co-supervisor at the start of 2013, and the stars were finally aligning in my quest to change the world, through our research into practical mobile technologies for young resource-constrained creatives. The two of them worked as a hyper-efficient tag team - guiding me through studies that spoored the line between cultural studies, ethnography, visual communications, design, ICT and HCI research; hustling for money to get our work done; ticking all the bureaucratic boxes; yet always, always having fun.

I'm not your classic ICT4D lab type, but Gary always made sure that I felt I belonged there - despite being an art school kid in a computer science world.  He always supported my ideas (even if they could be a bit out there) and entertained my creative whims  - outlining budget for lab plants after I bemoaned the lack of greenery in our workspace;  offering to buy a pin up board after I mentioned the fact that I couldn't visualize my research on the walls; and having long mid-day debates about philosophy, music and design.

Gary and I especially bonded over rock 'n roll and britpop - I was enthralled by his tales of being a roadie for his friends' bands around the UK as a young student.  Although he was a serious mentor and supervisor - he could just as easily fill the position of cool older cousin at times when you needed a friend. His creativity and sense of humour created an environment where one second he was Ernst Stavro Blofeld, the bond villain, stroking a stuffed white cat to indicate trouble; referring to his students as his "minions" a la Despicable Me; the next we were going on lab fieldtrips to celebrate his pride in Mo's newly found fame as a KFC tv star, and buying wheels to attach to all the furniture in the lab, rocking his hawaiian shirt in a mini-revolt against the tyranny of the formal tie and shirt ensemble. The working environment was never stale, he made sure that we were a proper living lab - and we were a vibrant organism because of him.

I want to let Gil, Holly and Jake know how much he spoke about you to his students, constantly. He was so proud of his kids. When I told him about anxiety issues I was having relating to my studies, and nightmares that placed me back in school unprepared for exams, he put stuff in perspective in that typical Gary way by telling me that his anxious nightmares revolved around never having met Gil. That as a "lifelong geek" he never freaked out about studies or preparedness, but about not meeting his soulmate - and that was the worst thing he could ever imagine. 

Holly, I constantly prodded him about you - cause I was such a nightmare to my family at your age.  And he just said how much he enjoyed your sense of humour - that it was like having a satirist in his house 24/7! He said he was so proud of the friends you surrounded yourself with, he didn't worry about you at all.

Jake, I think you are like a little carbon copy of your dad - and it's one of the things I loved most about spending time at your guys' house - just seeing this monumental man present in his kids. He constantly spoke about your blooming intelligence.

I am heartbroken that he won't be around to see us completing the research we have been jumping through hoops to try and get signed off. I have been given opportunities that would have been impossible without his unwavering support. He was my champion - and I am deeply moved when I think of the amount of times him and Marion have bailed me out of difficult situations. whether they were financial, research related, or personal.  I'm saddened that future students have been robbed of his immense spirit. He gave us more of his time and dedication than we ever deserved - and we will miss him every single day.

The ICT4D lab will always be The Gary Marsden Lab to me. Cheers Gary. 

From Fritz Meissner

Thanks all for the opportunity to grieve in community like this. 

In 2010 when I started my M.Sc. in the UCT Computer Science department, I told my supervisor I wanted to sit in the "ICT4D lab". It worked because I was a match by research area, but what I didn't realise at the time was that I was the only student there who was not supervised by Gary Marsden. Still, I was welcomed in weekly meetings, at which I was given the same space to talk and hear his advice for my research as any of his own students. 

He put effort into many things that would create a good atmosphere for all of us, including buying furniture and having us over to his home for a meal to mark the end of a term. In 2011 his tireless efforts at networking and fund raising resulted in the group getting an attractive work space in the computer science building. I was proud to be there. Any time a friend visited the University, I made the lab a part of the tour. In spare moments Gary joined us there, drinking coffee and making conversation which was always worth taking my headphones off to hear, even if I wasn't actually part of it.

One of the biggest benefits of being part of this group has been the endless stream of friends and contacts to whom Gary introduced us, including some very senior people in the field. When I meet them later, they remember me as one of Gary's students, even though I wasn't introduced as such. I think I understand why: it was unusual for someone in his position to pay attention to and promote students whom he didn't supervise, because there are significant incentives for academics to only invest time and energy only where it is most necessary and where return is most likely. It wasn't just me, either. As the group grew, more students joined from other supervisors, some of them not even from the same department. We all experienced his encouragement, infectious enthusiasm, and generosity.

In my (short) research career, January was always a great month because of the quiet in the lab, conducive to good concentration, but also -- more selfishly --  because Gary would split his attention between the few students who were present at the start of the working year. This meant more great conversation, and getting the scoop on his exciting plans for the new year. 

In 2014, January will be different. It holds sadness at amusement and wisdom lost, at plans that could have been, but won't. It would be unhealthy to deny that sadness, but in the midst of it I'm determined to hold on to the example he set, and hopefully one day emulate: to welcome the outsider who doesn't quite fit; to find meaning in blessing others; and to always go the extra mile, even when there is no obvious reward ahead.

Fritz