My Tribute to an Inventor of the PC - John Reed

My brother John was part of the IBM team that invented this piece of Technology you are reading this blog through - what an achievement - so few can match this?

No one really can know why John - my brother - committed suicide today I guess

- but having grown up with him I think I actually may have some idea!
But worried to tell his family -

But probably I am wrong as no one really knows but him.

But I do not know if anyone who was not there could understand what we went through as children .
And it does not matter - what matters is his relationship with them.
His note apparently was brief, part of it was

'I love you all '


And that he loved them is all that matters in the end
_________________________

If anyone has the time to look at the videos on his site before they go down .

As he is not here now to service his site - in his memory I will see if I can keep it on

http://www.reedfamilyalbums.co.uk/


There are pictures and videos - Videos here:
This is a happy one of him jetskying : http://www.reedfamilyalbums.co.uk/ReedFamilyAlbums/videoalbums/1970/Cine1.wmv

- that site says it all really about his life from the 70s onwards.

Despite the traumatic childhood both he and I to a degree, went though, he led a full life and very useful and productive life . But I think I do have a good understanding of why he might have ended it now.

I was very angry at first - but not now.

Computer Science Degree - Cambridge 1960s

• 
  
  His life was full of achievements,
  Most I fear will never be recognised.
  
  He was one of the first modern computer scientists that EVER existed - he was a student at Cambridge on what I beleve to be the first computer science degrees ever in about 1964 - and was later one of the team at IBM that invented this 'personal computer' that we are now talking though.

He has also since done other academic courses . He was a VERY clever man. If he had cared to he could put at least 2 degrees, two PHDs and many other qualification after his name.

But my memories of him are disjointed and very much of the past.

As a young girl/youth I remember I was so impressed to find that at Cambridge his room mate was John Dunbar Marian Faithfull's first husband: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Dunbar Dunbar was going out with her- MF - then and I met him but never met M Faithful, John my brother went to their wedding- I was very young then myself but I did grow up with him as my adored older brother and did visit him at Cambridge and remember his achievements and those he mixed with in those very interesting times .

International Times was an underground magazine of the time that he introduced to me at a 'too young age: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Times

Reading this had a lot of influence for me and my life as such a young girl. Reading this as a woman taught me not to be a victim - so many young women of that time were victims an not proactive.

But so few remember how it was then i.e in the 50s and 60s

Basically it was hell to be young and especially female if you were alone who wanted more for themselves than was our class or destiny -

John broke the mold as his origins were as humble as mine ............he even spent some time in a Dr Bernardo's home as a young child - does anyone now remember what that was all about ? He must have gone through sheer hell!!!

Well I know he did

But we are the only ones I guess who remember - those who were there are he testimony to what we went through and so sadly he is now not now here.

But he was probably never recognized for the achievements he made and it was huge I would not be able to talk to you here on this PC if it was not for he likes of my brother .

That is huge!!!!!

Think of the significance the PC has on all your lives!!!

I will continue this when I can