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OT, but: the guy retired in 2000. and died in 2005. That's sad :(

• brudgers 12y ago
  From Amazon page for Data and Reality: About the Author William Kent (1936-2005) was a renowned researcher in the field of data modeling. Author of Data and Reality, he wrote scores of papers and spoke at conferences worldwide, posing questions about database design and the management of information that remain unanswered today. Though he earned a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering and a master's in mathematics, he had no formal training in computer science. Kent worked at IBM and later at Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, where he helped develop prototype database systems. He also served on or chaired several international standards committees. Kent lived in New York City and later Menlo Park, Calif., before retiring to Moab, Utah, to pursue his passions of outdoor photography and protecting the environment. While 69 is fairly young, his death does not appear to be tragic in the sense of unfulfilled ambitions.
  • zvrba 12y ago
    > While 69 is fairly young, his death does not appear to be tragic in the sense of unfulfilled ambitions. My comment was from the perspective of course of life. After retirement, he had only 5 years to pursue "his passions of outdoor photography and protecting the environment". (Note that he did not continue working on his research.) He was under pressure to deliver results (school, working, etc.) for the majority of his life, and he had only 5 years of total and independent (within financial constraints) freedom. That is sad.
  • WildUtah 12y ago
    And five years of retirement in Moab is worth thirty in Ft. Lauderdale or Tempe.