Remembering Doug Bourn

Lovely piece on IEEE Spectrum.

2010-04-09T12:19:00.000-07:00

Check out this great article on IEEE Spectrum’s site by Tekla S. Perry about Doug, Brian Finn, and Andrew Ingram: “Mourning a Few Not-So-Ordinary EEs”

Tim Prachar remembers Doug at the Memorial

2010-03-01T16:19:00.000-08:00

I’ve known Doug for what seems like a very long time. Longer than some, but not as long as some others have known him. I've known him as a best friend, fellow pilot, fellow engineer, and simply fellow man. I knew him closer than many here today, but like most, never knew all sides of this very diverse man.

Over the last week I’ve learned a lot about him, and learned many more facets of who he was, especially who he was to his family and how much he truly meant to them, and they to him. To tell you all the ways Doug made my world a better place would take hours, and I regret I have but a few minutes and can share only a small window into him.

Doug and I first met at IDEO in ’97, and bonded immediately over our shared passion for engineering, and thrill of discovering not only what makes things tick, but also the thrill of putting that tick inside of things. For Doug it was never enough to just know that something worked — one had to know why it worked, and prove that it would work.

One of my favorite mantras Doug would always say was, “If it hasn't been tested, it doesn't work.” He believed in making things right, and never halfway.

So one day when Doug told me he’d finished his instructor’s certification, and was wondering who his first student would be, I knew in an instant that I could pick no better instructor to fulfill a lifelong dream of becoming a pilot than Doug. In classic Doug form, he insisted that his rate for this instruction should be at the trivial level of $5 an hour. For Doug it was never about the money, and it was always about enabling others to achieve their dreams. Only when we moved on to advanced training after finishing my first license, only then could I argue him up to a higher rate, and then, he wouldn't take much more than a typical high-school student could earn at McDonald’s flipping burgers.

I've flown with many pilots over the last decade, but none as in tune with their aircraft and as focused on precision flying as Doug. He may not have been a perfectionist about everything in his life, but he was about flying because flying was his passion, and I am grateful to him that in the hundreds of hours we've flown together, if even by osmosis, he has instilled that passion for flying perfection in me.

I cannot remember a flight in which I didn’t think about what he instilled in me, and I can’t imagine a moment when I won’t think about him, and benefit from all that he has given me, whether it be about flying, engineering, friendship, or simply how to truly live life. He may no longer be with us today in body, but it is his passion for life that we will all carry forward into ours.

Incredibly adventurous.

2010-03-01T16:04:00.000-08:00

posted on behalf of Sandra Giha
Doug was incredibly adventurous. This is from our road trip to Burning Man last Sept. - we camped out for 8 days in the desert and had a meaningful and amazing time together. He is in a sand storm standing next to a mobile party house.

Doug and I flew out to Reno last year and headed to the famous Reno BBQ fair. We ate, gambled, ate, shopped, ate and ate... so fun!

Doug really enjoyed BBQ ribs but what really completed the experience was his love for Corn on the Cob. This was his 3rd one! So so good.

More photos of young Doug.

2010-03-01T15:40:00.000-08:00

posted on behalf of Doug’s family and at the request of several friends

Photos of young Doug.

2010-03-01T15:38:00.000-08:00

posted on behalf of Doug’s family and at the request of several friends

Genuine smile and generous heart.

2010-03-01T15:33:00.000-08:00

posted on behalf of Doreen Allen

Doug,

I am so grateful that my life was enriched by your genuine smile and generous heart. May your spirit encourage us to live our lives with the gusto and kindness that was part of your every day life.

Your friend,
Doreen

The memory of a good person is a blessing. —Proverbs, 10:7

On the Playa

2010-02-28T22:26:00.001-08:00

Jim Feuhrer shared this image of Doug sauntering along the playa in his trademark style.

Can you see him?

Have the full experience here.

Wrinkled duct tape.

2010-02-28T08:22:00.000-08:00

posted on behalf of Greg Renda
...found from a group of pictures Doug himself took at the Oshkosh aviation gathering in 2005. I think it captures quite a few of Doug’s traits.

—Greg

An amazing, kind, generous, caring and tender man.

2010-02-27T10:26:00.000-08:00

posted on behalf of Ana Hays

Doug and I met two years ago at Beer Friday at Devil’s Canyon Brewery when he spied me in my Salinas Rodeo T-shirt. After a brief chat, as I was on my way to get a beer, I excused myself. Not one to miss an opportunity, Doug thrust his Tesla business card in my hand and said, “Give me a call if you would like to go out.” I returned later, beer in hand, and spent several hours with him and his friends, who all tried to sell me on the thrills and finer points of jumping out of planes. With an innate fear of heights and not particularly fond of flying, I was a hard sell. A few weeks later, I emailed Doug stating that if he still remembered me, I’d love to go out with him, but that I was not accustomed to calling guys for a first date. He promptly called and since then we have dated on and off for the past two years.

For our first date, Doug flew me to the Livermore airport for lunch. It was the best of both worlds for us—I a golfer got to look out on to a fairway and he the passionate pilot who skillfully flew me there. On our second date we flew to Napa for dinner at his favorite restaurant—Jonesy’s Famous Steak House. Returning that night from Napa, Doug encouraged me to try my hand at flying over Mt. Diablo. I lasted a minute not comfortable with the feel of air under me as opposed to rubber tires on a road. Missing Burning Man that year, over Labor Day he flew me in high winds over the Sierra for a dreadfully bumpy ride so we could eat our way through the Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-Off. And last September… I almost jumped with him from a plane! But waking with a panic attack I took a rain-check.

Traveling with wheels on the road, Doug liked to drive us to our destinations on his motorcycle, which was equally as scary to me. Without a “sissy-bar” on back, I had to hang on to him for what I considered dear life with a slightly too large helmet he gave me to wear tightly strapped to my neck so it wouldn’t slip, as it often did, up over my eyes blocking my view of the landscape and road below us careening by. What I love about Doug is that he was always pushing me out of my comfort zone.

Doug and I shared a love of movies, and the last time I saw him on Valentines Day, we ate at Pedro’s and went to see The Edge of Darkness at the Mercado with Mel Gibson. Doug thought the movie odd, maybe I deduced later, because it dealt with two deaths. I on the other hand loved it, because in the end Mel’s deceased daughter’s spirit comes to guide him as he dies. Because of my beliefs about the afterlife and other experiences with death, I know that Doug’s brother was there for him on that fateful day.

A running joke with Doug and I was his peculiar habit of not phoning when he said he would. The night after our last date, Doug surprised me with a call. Unfortunately my ringer was accidentally turned off. Later listening to his voice mail, I laughed with him when he chuckled and said, “I’ll call you later in the week! My famous last words!”

In the moments I am struck with disbelief and grief, I remind myself that Doug was an amazing man—a friend and mentor to many—and that he left this world doing what he loved most—flying a plane! If we could all be so lucky! Doug was the most kind, generous, caring and tender man I have yet to meet. And I am so grateful for his wonderful adventurous spirit that graced my world and for the times he flew in and out of my life.

A wonderful, patient teacher.

2010-02-27T10:24:00.000-08:00

posted on behalf of Barbara Elwood

I am one of Doug’s neighbors. He was a tremendous help to me about 20 years ago when I was taking some computer programming classes. He would come over at 4 – 5 am before he went to work to help me with my homework; he was a wonderful, patient teacher. He joined us for our Christmas dinner; he always had a very positive outlook, we really enjoyed our time with him. He was going to take my daughter, Barbara Ann, sky diving but she backed out at the last minute, she should have gone, it would have been fun.

—Barbara

Passing along his knowledge.

2010-02-25T11:59:00.000-08:00

posted on behalf of Greg Renda

I was excited to find out when Doug was hired at Tesla that he was also a pilot. It’s great to have someone to talk flying with and even more so with him since he was also an instructor. In order to keep your pilot certificate current a pilot has to have a flight review with an instructor every two years. So when my flight review came due I asked if he would do it. The flight review requires one hour of “ground” instruction where you go over regulations and procedures and one hour of actual flying.

Going into it I wondered if Doug might “take it easy” on me since we were co-workers. Hah! We must’ve gone at the ground portion for a good couple of hours and I was sweating at the end of the flying. But, unlike some instructors, none of it was adversarial. Doug was truly interested in passing along his knowledge and helping you to be the best pilot you could be. And, of course, have fun!

Fast forward two years and it was the same thing all over again. Doug loved to teach and took being a flight instructor very seriously. I’ll be thinking of him during my next flight review and I hope that I’ll be lucky enough to have an instructor that can measure up to Doug’s example.

Great photos.

2010-02-24T23:14:00.000-08:00

posted on behalf of John Bauer

Off-site meeting at Angel Island (Doug is wearing the colorful stripes).

Off-site meeting off of Cannery Row.

Off-site meeting in the wine country (I think) in 1997.

Doug in July 2009 at my home.

The best possible hands.

2010-02-24T22:52:00.000-08:00

I bumped into Doug at Zilog in the late ’70s, and in ’82 when Mike Fallon, Jim Hunt and I were starting to pull together a team to start Arete, (ARIX on NASDAQ) he was at the head of our list to lead our hardware design efforts. There were ten of us in those first few months, and while our start-up had many of the typical characteristics of all start-up companies in Silicon Valley, it's people were anything but typical.

Arete set out to build the first SMP server based on microprocessors. At the heart of the system’s design was an extraordinarily difficult hardware task: to allow four CPU chips to share one common memory without bumping into each other. This was Doug’s task. At the time, gigantic companies like DEC and IBM were attempting to build similar machines, yet Doug (who was primarily working on his own on the hardware) managed to accomplish it within months rather than the years it took the competition. Thanks to Doug’s efforts, the astounding efforts of the others in that core team, and the small group that was added as the months went by, Arete was able to ship its first sever for revenue only 13 months after the founding of the company. Within a year Arete had secured major customers and started to ship Doug’s design in high volume. On the basis of this design the company succeeded, going public in 1988.

That was the summary of what happened. But, there was another wonderfully person side to the story. Each morning I would arrive at the company early, figuring you don't lead from behind. Doug was always there first. His big smile and friendly greeting was something I looked forward to each day, seven days a week, for months. His willingness to explain what he was doing, to an x-software guy, was infinite. His calm focus under tremendous pressure was astonishing. But what I'll always remember was the care and thought that he applied to how he worked on everything from electronics to the way in which he treated he teammates. Under the pressures of our task people would occasionally get a little wigged-out. Doug, with his steady manner and warm smile would just sit talking to them, stabilizing them, getting them moving again. During one particularly difficult phase Doug's boss MIke Fallon was asked by the Board of the company: “When will this thing work? Can we put some more people on this and get it done sooner?” Mike, who we’ve also lost over the last few years, calmly said: “The best thing any of us can do is stop bugging Doug and let him get the job done. It’s the the best possible hands and we’ll just screw it up by helping.”

I've no doubt that putting anything into Doug's hands was putting it into “the best possible hands.” He was a wonderful teammate and friend, one who has left a large gap behind. But then, we all knew he was filling up a tremendous amount of important and valuable space and taking wonderful care of everyone and everything in that space. Those who were ever cared for by Doug and held in those capable hands will miss him tremendously.

Beau Vrolyk
co-founder, CEO, Arete

“Pilot-speak”

2010-02-24T22:43:00.000-08:00

posted on behalf of Scott Underwood

The first time I flew with Doug, he let my two young sons, Ryan and Eric, take part in the 100th anniversary of the birth of flight, bringing us up for a quick tour of the Bay Area and letting them each fly for a short period. Later, he flew my whole family up to Boise for the start of a two-week camping trip — we loaded his plane with so much gear, Doug had us take a picture of the unloaded plane.

A couple years after that, Doug flew Ryan, and Chris Kurjan and me up to Plains, Montana, to see former IDEOer Terry Christensen, and those three engineers bonded over Terry’s off-the-grid electricity and water systems. Then Doug, Chris and I flew on to Kalispell, rented a car, and camped overnight in Glacier National Park. As we passed over Flathead Lake at night, Doug showed me how he could remotely turn on the runway lights at an unattended airstrip, a little trick that’s likely common to pilots but was magic to me.

One conversation I remember having in flight regarded “pilot-speak” — the tendency for pilots, even women, when using the radio to lower the pitch of their voice and reduce the expressiveness, adopting a just-the-facts tone somewhere between cowboy and cop. It seemed like Doug’s speaking voice was a good octave above his radio voice, and it amused me to hear him adopt the false machismo.

Beyond that my memories of Doug involve conversations during work or over evening drinks in the Grassy Knoll and elsewhere, the kind of goalless exchanges of stories and ideas that create bonds and make the time a little brighter. My life is richer from having known him.

Considerate, caring, and Just an overall good guy.

2010-02-24T22:09:00.000-08:00

posted on behalf of Gerry and Joe Oram

On behalf of my husband, Joe Oram, who cannot do this himself because he has Parkinson’s Disease, and me, Gerry Oram (Clermont, FL), we want the Bourn family to know how wonderful it was to be a friend of Doug’s and how great a time he showed us in our flying days. (I think Joe met some of you once in Battle Mountain when he was with Doug.)

Gerry and Joe Oram on a trip to Sunriver, Oregon, in the 310.

Joe and four of his friends bought the 310, and Joe asked Doug to “get qualified” so he could be our pilot for trips in the 310. Doug bought our remaining shares when we moved to Carmel in 1996. We had many great times with Doug in that airplane, including one of his Angel Flights to Las Vegas. One of our most ambitious trips was to Branson, Mo, which included several trying situations, the first of which was having to land in Springfield instead of Branson because of weather. But Doug never missed a beat, and we rented a car and drove on down for the weekend.

On our way back to the Bay Area, we had to stop in Prescott, AZ for fuel, and one of the engines would not start. A local “geezer” offered to hand prop the engine, and Doug was hesitant to let him do so. But the guy insisted, and he did indeed start the engine. We talked about that many times afterwards, and we were glad we could laugh about it. When we got home to the Bay Area that night, we flew straight into Palo Alto instead of San Jose, where we had started out, so that we would not have to worry about starting the engine again. Doug, bless his heart, took us in his car to San Jose so we could pick up our car. This was at 10:00 at night after flying as PIC all day. That was Doug—considerate, caring, and just an overall good guy. We’ll cherish our memories of him always.

Sense of adventure.

2010-02-24T21:59:00.000-08:00

posted on behalf of Dave Raaum

I used to work with Doug at Zilog back in the late 1970’s. In 1988, a
group of friends, including Doug, signed up for a heli-skiing trip to
the Purcell Mountains in British Columbia. I didn’t have a still camera
with me, but took quite a few videos. I extracted the attached pictures
from those videos. The pictures aren't the best quality, but do convey
Doug’s sense of adventure.

Doug was a lower intermediate skier upon arrival, but his improvement during the week was remarkable. Most skiers at his level would never have even considered going into the back-country where we were skiing, but Doug jumped right in and worked at his powder-skiing skills. Actually, I think he enjoyed the helicopter rides as much as the skiing. He was always good-natured, and ready to lend a hand to someone.

When my kids were 8 and 6, he invited the family to go flying up to the Nut Tree for lunch. He explained everything he was doing during the flight, and let me try to flight straight and level for a short period.

Doug bought my first house in Santa Clara in 1981, and I think he may have been still living there.

We’ll all sure miss this brilliant, kind friend.

Regards,
Dave Raaum

Flat Stanley.

2010-02-23T17:06:00.000-08:00

posted on behalf of Sam Pai

Doug helping with my daughter’s “Flat Stanley” assignment.

We will all miss this kind soul.

2010-02-23T14:37:00.000-08:00

posted on behalf of James Yurchenco

Doug was an extremely generous person with his time. On several occasions, he flew Amy and me to remote airports near the Sierra Nevada so we could do long through-hikes in the mountains. We always loved flying with Doug. He was a meticulous pilot who took his responsibilities with a seriousness that inspired immense confidence in the people in his care. And while he never messed around in the air, he always managed to convey his joy in the process of taking flight.

He loved sharing and teaching people about flying. On a number of flights, he let me take the yoke so I could get a sense about what it means to fly an aircraft. I always felt privileged that a man of his skills could share them in a way that was positive and inspiring while reminding you of the obligations you had when controlling an aircraft. Watching Doug, as he juggled the many things you must do to fly safely and share airspace with other pilots, was inspiring. He never slacked off. If Doug were back with us today, I wouldn’t hesitate a second to go flying with him again.

We will all miss this kind soul: a dedicated and much missed former co-worker, a lover of flight and all its grace, and an understated and wonderfully kind man.

—James Yurchenco

Doing what he loved.

2010-02-23T14:15:00.001-08:00

posted on behalf of Kevin von Essen

From a trip Doug and I took to the CES show in Las Vegas, 2006.

Engineering inspiration.

2010-02-23T12:08:00.000-08:00

posted on behalf of Heidi Liebenguth Crone
Some photos of Doug working with the team, celebrating their “Engineering Inspiration” Award in 2006 (he's on the right, in back) and proudly wearing his “Gatorbotics” t-shirt.

Doug was such a dear man and will be missed so much. He mentored Castilleja High School’s FIRST robotics team from its inception and was such an inspiration to all of the girls. My daughter, Christina, thought he was just the coolest guy ever. So kind, encouraging and a wonderful teacher.

Doug spent countless hours, after work, sometimes late into the night, coaching the girls and helping the parents build large structures for the robot to interact with. I had the pleasure of helping chaperon the girls at all of the regional tournaments and the National Championship for three years, and what a thrill it was for the team to see Doug and their other beloved mentors cheering for them at the National Championship in Atlanta.

For my daughter and for so many young women on the team over the past 6 years, Doug showed how engineering was fun, fascinating, exciting and rewarding...just really cool.

—Heidi Liebenguth Crone

A wonderful and inspirational person.

2010-02-23T12:03:00.000-08:00

posted on behalf of Linda Mack

I was so sorry to hear the tragic news of Doug’s death and wanted to extend my deepest and most sincere sympathies to Doug’s family.

I am a friend of Linda’s. I never had the good fortune to meet Doug personally, but know through Linda what a wonderful person he was, and what a difference he made in her life as well as in the lives of his family and friends...and everyone who knew him. He was truly a wonderful and inspirational person and will be remembered fondly forever.

My thoughts and prayers are with Doug and his family.

With my deepest and most sincere sympathies,
Linda

An educated Engineering wizard, humble & generous, kind and wonderful man.

2010-02-22T16:24:00.000-08:00

posted on behalf of Roxsana Hadjizadeh
From Right to Left: Doug, Tara, Roxsana & Saeed.

In this tragic event, I lost a friend who was an educated Engineering wizard, humble & generous, kind and wonderful man!

A man who would go above and beyond his job to spread scientific knowledge not only by mentoring teens in robotics but also as keynote speaker for 3 IEEE events on 100% Electric Car as soon as I asked for his help in 2006 & 2007! He patiently stayed hours after each event answering questions to over 200+ attendees.

Once I asked him what he wanted for an appreciation gift from IEEE, he said a green bag form Whole Foods Market. What an environmentally conscious person! I remember he would carry his lunch purchases without plastic bag!

A man who cared for his fellow employees by joining ERT (Emergency Response Team) team at Tesla, I remember he had the knowledge for all the equipments and gears to be ordered and once told me that he was updating his medical technician certificate every year at Valley Medical Hospital. He got 100% correct on his test at CPR / AED and Standard First Aid in a few minutes while a few of us at Tesla training were struggling w/ tricky questions for a long time. Still can remember his victory smile!

I’ll never forget our walks to lunch and Starbucks afterward w/ Phil Cole, Krispin Leydon, Marty Taft, Jon Bauer, Bruce Femmel, Scott Brenneman, Peter Krauer and others.
Doug never missed our Thursday lunch hikes at Edgewood Park in San Carlos with Phil, Tara, Peter, Krispin, Marty and other Engineers. He liked racing with Phil and Tara down hill after 2 miles and always enjoyed eating lunch on the benches before coming back to work!
I remember the first time I met Doug when interviewed at Tesla Motors back in 2005 – he interviewed me for technical competency later he educated me on the operations behind his design of controller board on the PEM (Power Electronic Module). What a great guy, I thought.
Less than a week before this tragic event, I talked to Doug while driving home from work and asked him to gather all of our friends at Tesla for a luncheon while being so apologetic not going up there to visit them for a long time due to my heavy work load; I could have imagined his characteristic smile while he said: “you always worked 24 hrs at Tesla too”. -J —Had I known he won’t be with us anymore, I would have made the time to drive up there before facing this heartbreaking event! Now I have learned my lesson!!!

No, I didn’t fly with Doug, our plan to fly w/ my husband & daughter was canceled and we never rescheduled with our busy lives. My daughter asked me on the phone, “What happened to Doug, please tell me!” She had heard it on the news. She hugged me when she got home from her trip knowing how sad I was. I told her I can not believe he is gone and do not want to accept it. This way the good memories will stay with us forever!

This is a good one: Once I had my car blocked by another car at our Last Friday of the Month Devil’s Canyon Brewery Company happy hour set up by John Bauer in 2007 and we could not find the owner or driver. Doug asked the Tesla Engineers to push the car away and as soon as I passed, they pushed the car into my parking slot……..what a joy with laughs and applaud. I was laughing my heart out talking to my husband on what happened while driving home! Nothing would stop Doug helping a friend! Absolutely nothing!

It was such a great pleasure working with him and Tesla Engineers! I will never forget!
Due to lack of space, Doug, Tara and I were located in a mega cube. Doug had purchased all kinds of energy bars from Costco and shared with us whenever we were hungry. He purchased two flash lights for Tara & me so we could see outside walking through dark parking lot. He also gave us magnifying lenses so we could see details on the PBCA’s (Printed Circuit Boards) — I have been carrying it in my purse and still using it — I remember him & his kindness every time I use it!!

In this tragic event, we all lost a friend who was an educated Engineering wizard, humble & generous, kind and wonderful man! We will dearly miss him!

Angel Flight missions.

2010-02-22T16:15:00.000-08:00

posted on behalf of Susan Hale Clifford
Doug loved flying and shared his knowledge and passion for flying in his Cessna 310-N5225J. I had the pleasure of flying a number of Angel Flight missions with him and flying to Oshkosh, WI for the annual airshow in 1997.

Doug had a kind, caring, and generous nature. His sense of humor and smiling face brightended many lives. He will be missed.

Captain Zilog.

2010-02-22T16:00:00.000-08:00

posted on behalf of George S.

Doug and I first met in EE classes at Stanford. Then years later, we
reconnected when he did some consulting at Multivision and Bell
Associates. Many years after that, he turned up again as the mentor
for my daughter’s robotics team at Castilleja, and Doug helped make
the team's first year a great success. Last summer, Doug flew my son
over to Byron and took him parachuting. Because of all the fun and
interesting things he was always up to, including Tesla, Doug was
always one of the people I looked for first at Beer Friday.

I invited him to our neighborhood's annual Summer Solstice Sunrise
Waffle Breakfast and he actually showed up, even though sunrise that
day was at 5:40AM! And you can see in the picture that he is having a
good time.

His engineering skills were legendary. I was told he designed one of
the first chips for Zilog, back when chip design required advanced
skills in not only digital design, but also semiconductor physics,
analog design, physically manipulating large sheets of plastic
(“Rubylith”) and extremely careful use of X-Acto knives. Does anyone
know which Zilog chip was Doug’s? (PIO, SIO, DMA???)

Anyway, now whenever I look at the picture of Captain Zilog on the
wall in my son’s room, I’ll think of Doug and what a truly great
person he was. And every time I hoist a pint at Beer Friday, I'll tell
him how much I miss him.

Doug explains the Tesla motor.

2010-02-22T15:55:00.001-08:00

posted on behalf of Vahe

Doug explains the Tesla motor — around Thanksgiving, 2009.

Surviving Silicon Valley.

2010-02-20T22:09:00.000-08:00

Back home
We’re born with a safety net
Woven with family history
And well-meaning neighbors
Bankers who have names
School nurses who laugh at the formality
Of emergency contact forms
As if our next of kin were somehow strangers
-
Within the bounds of the safety net
Some fly high and soar
The trapeze suits them
Others look beyond the mesh
And wonder what it feels like to touch the ground
-
Silicon Valley is life without a net
Mostly immigrants, we, nets abandoned
Invasive species whose penchant for risk-taking
Has prohibited the establishment of social norms
A path without a handrail
Eyes straight ahead to avoid dwelling on
The abyss on either side
Ephemeral jobs, transient friends, a tolerance for
Neighbors we have never even met
-
In this place where we live
Each weaves new fabric
Fibers collected, our found friends and family
A ragtag collection discovered at the coffee shop, gym
Night classes, volunteer projects, and jobs that seem promising
-
We weave our relationships into
Not a net, but gear appropriate for this place
Our fabric apps allow more mobility, features, and intensity of user experience
Our friends’ wisdom becomes
The straightjacket that keeps us from
Really dumb moves that might kill us
Their humor becomes
Knee pads and butt cushions
To dull the pain when we stumble
And the friends that endure beyond the occasional
Failed marriage or failed startup
Become the bandages
Healing the bloodiest wounds
From our really nasty falls
-
Introverts for the most part
Still we tend our social cloth
Patterns of different ages
Reflect what we were up to when the earthquake hit
The bubble burst
Or when tragedy struck
And knocked out the lights
-
If we are lucky
Inspection reveals a sturdy thread or two
Whose hue lasts when others fade
Whose length of kindness seems unending
And over the years we find
Some semblance of Security
To take the next step
On the wary path
Between adventures
Came about because
An individual thread
Knitted into our lives
-
Thank you, Doug.

posted on behalf of Lori Hobson

Repost from the Gatorbotics blog.

2010-02-20T11:20:00.000-08:00

Emily Ma's note:
Shreya is a new member to the Gatorbotics team. Tuesday night was no different from any other night Doug spent at Castilleja - he lit candles and inspired young minds not only to overcome challenges but to then share that newfound knowledge infectiously. This is evidence of his influence and his life of consequence in its rawest form. This is why I have such deep admiration for Doug. He was truly a diamond in the rough.

SOURCE : http://gatorbotics-build.blogspot.com/2010/02/thursday.html

Hello everybody,
Today was a sad day for everyone in Gatorbotics. But we know we have to finish our robot. It's why Doug did everything he did for us. That, and how much he loved us.

I didn't know Doug too well, but I remember when he taught me how to solder. I'm an excellent solderer now--I learned from the best. Doug was always extremely precise in everything, from the twisting of the wires together, being careful not to break them, to the application of the super-hot solder, without burning the wire. And of course you have to wear your safety glasses. Doug always made sure of that.

I think it's appropriate that I spent today soldering, and even better, teaching other people how to solder. We all wore our safety glasses, and our soldering was wonderful. We fixed a battery charger, which is happy because...now our batteries can charge. And we fixed up encoders and PWMs. And now two more people on the team know how to solder exactly the way Doug taught me.

In other areas of the team--some of us are working on the cart! It's going great, I think we just have to add a couple corners so the robot doesn't fall off. Pneumatics-wise, we're trying to test if Free Willy will hold 150 pounds safely. Caroline worked on code. The wireless is having a temper tantrum. Hopefully it'll calm down soon.

We miss you, Doug.
posted by shreya at 6:44 pm 0 comments

posted on behalf of Emily Ma

More great photos of Doug.

2010-02-20T11:13:00.000-08:00

Doug mentoring a student in the IDEO EE lab. He is fixing a gear-tooth sensor for the fifth or sixth time late into the evening.

Doug reaching up to a game piece that we build to practice on every year. In 2008 the game involved putting these giant 40" diameter exercise balls on top of that frame and Doug is not short by any means.

Doug explaining how an encoder works.

Doug at Gatorbotics Summer Bootcamp. He is showing everyone how to use an oscilloscope and a wave generator and what it means to build low-pass filters.

Doug is the back with his hands up in the air! This is the 2008 team at IDEO the night before the robot ship deadline.

Doug is with Allie May in the competition pit, ready to rock and roll!

posted on behalf of Emily Ma

More pictures of Doug.

2010-02-20T11:02:00.000-08:00

with Nina Serpiello

with Elaine Boiko

posted on behalf of Marsha Barnhard

About 1 month ago, enjoying dinner with friends from Peet's.

2010-02-19T14:20:00.000-08:00

posted on behalf of Vahe

Doug the Spaceship.

2010-02-18T22:46:00.000-08:00

posted on behalf of Cathy

Doug flew my then-4-year-old son and I from California to Colorado back in 1997. It was one of those “interesting” flights with my son puking repeatedly during the many hour flight. Doug kept his sense of humor though and, after a quick trip to Walmart while on a fuel stop, we made it to Colorado and settled into our home here. That flight inspired a series of bedtime stories that went on for years. “Doug the Spaceship” visited my children just about every night and became an integral part of our bedtime routine. And it wasn't just my children who loved “Doug the Spaceship.” My niece, nephew and various school friends of my kids looked forward to spending the night at our house because of these stories. “Doug” would take them to worlds that included rainbows you could slide down, dragons you could ride and farting piggy banks, to name only a few. And every child that was introduced to “Doug the Spaceship” heard about the real-life Doug who flew us to Colorado. Though we didn't stay in touch through the years, Doug’s kindness and generosity will always be remembered. He was a wonderful pilot and a good man.

—Cathy

Great memories.

2010-02-18T22:12:00.000-08:00

posted on behalf of Tony Rossetti

I have great memories of when Doug taught me to fly, then later my son too. Doug piloted us on a great fly-trip/camping adventure with my brother and son to Lassen National Park. Doug pulled several of us together and taught aviation ground school and, for some, eventual flight instruction. I really enjoyed his adventurous spirit. He worked hard as a conscientious engineer, but never lost sight of having fun.

Strawberry Shortcake airdrop.

2010-02-18T21:53:00.000-08:00

posted on behalf of David Haygood

We had a big group that backpacked to a small lake in the Sierras. Doug’s contribution was to air drop Strawberry Shortcake attached to a NASA parachute!

Dear sweet Doug...

2010-02-18T21:46:00.000-08:00

posted on behalf of Ellen

Dear sweet Doug... I will never forget you. You made a profound impact on my life that no other person ever has. Your uniqueness and sweet, gentle spirit will be with all of us forever.

—Ellen

Dear friend.

2010-02-18T16:37:00.000-08:00

posted on behalf of Luanne Scott

Dear friend, I’ll miss you, your smile, your blue eyes, kind and gentle way, generosity, sense of humor and the sound of your laugh.

Thank you for being in my life — I’ll remember you always.

—Lu

A note from the Bourn Family.

2010-02-18T12:00:00.000-08:00

posted on behalf of the Bourn family

We have been overwhelmed by the good wishes and wonderful stories so many of you have shared with us. For us, Doug was a great brother and son, along with being a meticulous pilot, a pioneering engineer, and a giver of time and talent.

Most importantly, thank you for your friendship and generosity at this difficult time. Doug would have wanted all of us to celebrate and embrace the life he lived – he lived it well.

—The Bourn Family