Hank [BS/MSEE,
MSM $$$, Ph.D. Mgmt] teaches 
Randy Pausch, renowned computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University, died today of complications from pancreatic cancer. Back on Oct 2, 2007, I blogged about his “Last lecture” here.
The family requests that donations on his behalf be directed to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, 2141 Rosecrans Ave., Suite 7000, El Segundo, CA 90245, or to Carnegie Mellon’s Randy Pausch Memorial Fund ( www.cmu.edu/giving/pausch), which primarily supports the university’s continued work on the Alice project. On behalf of Purdue University students who stand in his shadow, I suggest you consider making a donation regardless of the size. I gave, but it pales in comparison with what Randy has given. My thanks to Katie B. for the heads up. Hank
Last year my brother told me about his last lecture. It was a great lecture and so much can be learned from it. I am saddened to hear of his passing. I am not a VR guy, but you can see from his lecture he was a man who had so much to offer.
I think one of his best observations is:
The brick walls are there for a reason: to see how badly you want something.
Jim
Isn’t it wonderful that one person has touched so many lives in both his life and his death? If this had not really been Randy’s last lecture, if he had just been another professor who was giving a hypothetical final lecture, I wonder how many of us would have listened. If we had been Randy, facing death and knowing we had only a few more month’s to live, would we have been unselfish enough to try to inspire others as he did? He faced his final brick wall and floated far above it.