Randy Pausch's Passing

Came here to post the news as well. Expected, but sad.

If you haven't read or seen the "Last Lecture," I encourage you to. Here is the original full lecture. And a condensed one he gave for Oprah. Very moving and inspiring.

He was a truly great guy.

very sad news - although the odds were totally against him I always thought somehow he' beat them

Sad, but not unexpected.

He was a remarkable person.

Full of life and inspiration until the end.

I saw his Last Lecture soon after it hit the web, and took away some important lessons. Ditto his time management lecture. The more I read, the more I realised what a remarkable man he was.

Somehow in my mind, I just thought 'he'll make it...I know the odds but he's too important, too brilliant, too inspirational to go'.

But the quiet of the last month made me realize what was inevitable, and yesterdays news about going into hospice made the all too tragic reality snap into focus.

People that good, that nice, that wonderfull and inspirational are so rare - his loss is something I just can't find words for. His children in years to come will be able to see those lectures, read the book, and will, I hope, be proud.

Rest in peace Randy, you've changed a lot of lives for the better - not least of all mine.

Very sad, yet unfortunately expected - his odds were not good. I think it is wonderful that was able to positively touch so many lives through his last lecture and leave a legacy for himself which anyone would be proud of. Although he accepted his situation better than almost anyone else could, I am glad that he is now truly at peace.

~Shard~ said:

Very sad, yet unfortunately expected - his odds were not good. I think it is wonderful that was able to positively touch so many lives through his last lecture and leave a legacy for himself which anyone would be proud of. Although he accepted his situation better than almost anyone else could, I am glad that he is now truly at peace.

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There is nothing in life like being presented when you are going to die, realizing the reality, then dealing with it in a positive way.

Randy left a wonderful legacy and affected many lives.

I am thankful that I was fortunate enough to hear his lectures and see his presentation early on.

There is an interesting poem about death...written in the style of Japanese poet, Basho:

"You only live twice:
Once when you are born
And once when you look death in the face"

Randy definitely lived while looking death in the face. A brave and courageous person who inspired until the end.

Very well said sushi. Realizing one's mortality can be a very enlightening, important experience which puts things in their proper perspective. Alas, for many people, as your Japanese poem alludes to, it comes too late.

A very fitting poem, sushi.

An amazing person. The world is richer to have know him, and poorer to have lost him.

Rip

Randy made a difference.

He was faced with a hard prognosis. It's what he did that made the difference.

I like Shard's signature :
Every man is guilty of all the good he didn't do.
- Voltaire

If you do nothing, are you really alive?

Flynnstone said:

Randy made a difference.

He was faced with a hard prognosis. It's what he did that made the difference.

I like Shard's signature :
Every man is guilty of all the good he didn't do.
- Voltaire

If you do nothing, are you really alive?

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Thank you for noticing and appreciating my sig. I change my sig regularly with different quotes and they all mean something important to me - it's nice when others take notice.

i loved his book "the last lecture". it was . . just, awesome. the stuff he did, the stories he told.

mixmacface said:

i loved his book "the last lecture". it was . . just, awesome. the stuff he did, the stories he told.

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I think it really teaches an important lesson as well that a person can do anything they set their mind to - and that it is, in many cases, all in your head. As Randy says, you can't control the cards that life deals you, but you can control how you play your hand. This is where attitude becomes so important - it's the one aspect of things you can completely control regardless of what's happening beyond your reach.

Further to this, in general, people seem to need a stimulus or a kick in the ass to really appreciate something, focus on something or succeed at something - it really shouldn't come down to this. Does a man need to find out he has a few months to live in order to start living out his fantasies, go traveling, do things he never thought he'd do? In other words, along the lines of sushi's poem above, does a man only start living when he is faced with death?

I think there is a lot of negativity in this world. Everyone always tells you that you can;t do something. And many times, you are your own worst enemy - second-guessing yourself, underestimating your abilities, and so forth. You can do anything you set your mind to, and in many cases, you should do anything you set your mind to. Live life to the fullest, you only have one.

One of my quotes before my current one was the following:

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do.

– Mark Twain​

Yea, pancreatic cancer is a brutal disease. Not many who can beat that.

Yes, very sad indeed. He took a horrible situation and turned it into something positive. Not only was he able to raise awareness for such a horrible disease, but he provided the world with universal advice on how to live very proactive and motivated lives. Although his story seemed very grim, he turned it into something uplifting.

My father also passed away from pancreatic cancer, about 8 years ago, so hearing him speak each time brought back a lot of memories.

He will be missed greatly by his family and friends, and undoubtedly everyone who listened to his lecture or heard his story as well.

He certainly walked off stage in style and his family can be very proud of the many lives he has touched, me included, with his infamous Last Lecture. I'd been following his blog for the past year and it almost felt as though he was wining the battle. RIP Randy.

Dal

~Shard~ said:

One of my quotes before my current one was the following:

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do.

– Mark Twain​

​

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That, my friend, is an awesome quote!

Dalriada said:

He certainly walked off stage in style and his family can be very proud of the many lives he has touched, me included, with his infamous Last Lecture. I'd been following his blog for the past year and it almost felt as though he was wining the battle. RIP Randy.

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Well said!

"I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life..."
-Henry David Thoreau


I feel lucky to have been able to read and absorb such a personal and inspiring story that was meant not for us, but for his children. I hope that he passed on with the knowledge that he has touched many. He was a truly awe-inspiring man.