Yuri Rubinsky (1952-1996)

Dear Colleagues:

It is with deep regret that I inform you that Yuri Rubinsky,
President of SoftQuad, died suddenly on Sunday night of a
massive heart attack at his home in Toronto.

Many readers of this newsgroup will know him as a tireless
advocate of SGML and the World Wide Web, who gave so much energy
and enthusiasm to so many groups active in the field.  Perhaps not
so many will know of his great interest in the development of tools
and applications using SGML to provide enhanced accessibility to 
those with special needs.

Those of us who were fortunate enough to have been his colleagues
and his friends will remember him for his genuine and selfless interest
in their work, for his genius in seeing practical and powerful
relationships between ideas and technologies apparently unrelated,
and above all for his kind and generous spirit.

He was greatly loved and will be sorely missed. 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Yuri Rubinsky was one of the founding members of the HTML Working
Group, sat on the International WWW Conference Committee (IW3C2),
was the chair of the International Committee for Accessible
Documentation Design (ICADD), co-founder of SGML Open and
chair of the annual SGML conference.  

It was through Yuri's efforts that Doug Englebart was awarded
the 1st Annual SoftQuad Web Award at the 4th WWW Conference
in Boston recently.  

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
We have made arrangements with Erik Naggum to use comp.text.sgml
as a medium for an "electronic wake" where anyone can send
their comments and eulogies.  Please feel free to post your
own comments to that newsgroup.  Erik will be collecting
all of the messages that come in and we will arrange for
a suitable tribute to Yuri at a later date.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Holley Rubinsky welcomes flowers and has suggested
that alternatively donations may be made in Yuri's 
memory to:

	War Amputees of Canada -- (416) 412-0600
	Well Spring -- (416) 961-1928

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Visitation will be open to friends, colleagues and family
on Friday, January 26, 1996 from 7 until 9pm at:

	A.W. Miles Chapel of the Humphrey Funeral Home
	1403 Bayview Avenue
	Toronto, Ontario
	M4G 3A8
	(416) 924-2569

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A service will be held for Yuri Rubinsky
on Saturday, January 27, 1996 at 2pm at:

	Deer Park United Church
	129 St Clair Avenue West
	Toronto, Ontario
	(416) 962-3381

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Recommended hotels for out-of-town visitors are:

The Royal York Hotel, Front St at Union Station -- (416) 368-2511
Bradgate Arms, St Clair and Avenue Road -- (416) 968-1331
Four Seasons, Avenue Road and Bloor -- (416) 964-0411 x4693
Park Plaza, Avenue Road and Bloor -- (416) 924-5471
Journey's End, Bloor and St George -- 1-800-424-6423
Sheraton Centre, Queen and Bay -- (416) 361-1000
Hilton, Richmond and University -- (416) 869-3456

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
SoftQuad employees are organizing a wake for current and former
employees and for members of the SGML and WWW communities on
Friday night, following the visitation hours.  Out-of-town
visitors can contact Murray Maloney at (416) 239-4801 x219
for details (voice mail message will be updated).  Murray 
can also be reached at his home phone: (905) 509-9120.


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Thank you,

Murray Maloney

Received on Wednesday, 24 January 1996 21:47:41 UTC