My first introduction to Barry was over email and on the phone. He started working for our project back when Fei-Fei was still at Princeton. He seemed eager, bright and pleasant to work with. When he found out that Fei-Fei and I were cat lovers he sent us pictures of his cat Jane. I needed no more convincing, I knew then that I was going to like this guy. :-) And indeed, when I finally met Barry in person, a little over a month later, I liked him even more. I was immediately struck by his affability—his ready smile, his genuine interest in whomever he was talking to, and his easy going style. He was an absolute pleasure to be around. I cannot imagine that anyone could meet Barry and not immediately like him. Barry's charm was not his only asset, he was also a valuable and valued member of our research team. He worked tirelessly and quickly, and was offering solutions and actively participating in our brain storming sessions soon after starting with us. He was instrumental in bringing our project to where it is today. Fei-Fei and I were both very impressed and we felt very lucky to have him join our research team.
I now feel very lucky to have even known Barry. His time on this earth was so short, and I was one of the lucky few whose life was made brighter by knowing him. I will miss him dearly, and my heart goes out to those at Stanford who interacted with him on a daily basis. I know his absence will be felt deeply. To Barry's parents, I cannot imagine your grief. It is tragic that someone with so much life and so much promise should be taken so young. I hope you will find some comfort in the happiness Barry brought to all those who knew him.
Barry, you will be dearly missed.
No comments:
Post a Comment