I just received some sad news from my friend Shahriar: our old school teacher Rick Morris has passed away.

The funeral is 2pm in Leura today, 7th May.

Mr Morris was perhaps the most central figure in putting me on the path to computer programming. He used to run the computer lab at our high school and he was our computers teacher in junior high. I had him as my advanced mathematics teacher too.

You know how in Excel if you want a relative reference you use something like ‘B8’ and if you want an absolute reference you use the dollar sign as e.g. ‘$B$8’. Well it was Mr Morris who taught me that, some time back in the early 90s. I’ve been using that syntax my whole life, and every time I do I think of Mr Morris.

It wasn’t so long ago that Shahriar and I caught up with Mr Morris for drinks at the Lappo. Of course we didn’t know at the time that would be the last time we’d ever see him. At least we did have that time together before we lost him.

I will miss his quiet intelligence and his big laugh.

p.s. I just got back from the funeral. Apparently he died suddenly from a stroke on 24th April. It was a beautiful ceremony. 50/50 laughing and crying. They had speeches, poems, photos, and music. They even played the Star Wars anthem! I was confused and accidentally went up with the family when it was time for family members to come to the front and pay their respects. Whoops! I think Mr Morris would have laughed.

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