Today I discovered that one of my earliest heroes has passed away. To the same cancer that took Steve Jobs from the world. Tim Cook made a post celebrating Bill Atkinson – and it caught be off guard. He passed away a few days ago. I feel bad about only finding out today.
When I. was a child my friends had their heroes. Actors, local sports celebrities, etc. Me? The engineering team at Apple who brought us the Mac. Yes. Bill Atkinson with his famous mustache and creative engineering chops which gave us the menubar, HyperCard, lasso selection, double-click, and more. After the Mac team, he moved to General Magic where his efforts were too powerful for the. world at that time.
Rest easy Bill. Along with your passing goes away another small piece of what I hang onto called my youth. When Steve passed, a HUGE part of me went with him in some strange way. And now with you passing I feel a little of the same.
I have a strong mental attachment and enviable love for you and the team you were on. The entire world was changing with your innovation – we championed what you were doing and we paid close attention to your efforts. People camped on lawns submitting applications to work with people of your caliber and your quality. I wasn’t old enough to have done that while you were at Apple – but I certainly would have.
Apple isn’t a real place for me. It’s a dream. Something I aspire to. Even to this day. It’s not a company – it’s a spirit of energy and awe. A place where anything wonderful is possible. You helped make that happen.
Imagine a small child holding an engineer on a pedestal- an engineer! Yet that’s what I did. And that’s what I still do. You represent whats possible and what’s good in this otherwise shitty world. Although we never met, I circulated in your world for a few brief moments and I relished the feeling. How wonderful. Simple and powerful.
Thank you for living your life and sharing your gifts.
Thank you.