Date   : Thu, 01 Nov 1990 22:33:58 GMT
From   : mintaka!spdcc!mirror!pallio!dg@bloom-beacon.mit.edu (David Goodenough)
Subject: Irv Hoff

Tom McEnroe on GEnie posted the following. With a very heavy heart I relay
it on.

Category 1,  Topic 8
Message 1         Sun Oct 28, 1990
T.MCENROE1 [Tom]             at 20:58 PST
 
     Users of IMP, MODEM7, etc. will be saddened by the following  news about
Irv Hoff dying of cancer. Just today (Sunday, Oct. 28, 1990) I captured the
following  message from Fog's BB #1 in Daly City, CA, and am posting it here
for your information. I'm sure that users of both MODEM7 and IMP (and I'm one
of thousands) would want to know about his fatal illness. No later word
about Irv appeared on Fog's BB, so I don't know whether he is still alive.
 = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 
[Message #17896 on Fog's BB #1] Posted: 09/11/90 at 10:43 pm
  From: JIM SWITZ
    To: ALL USERS
 About: Irv Hoff 

To Whom It May Concern:

   I just saw an old friend of mine tonight - Irv Hoff.  For those of you
who've known Irv, you know that he's meant a lot to our BBS hobbies and
addictions.  From the earliest days of CP/M teleommunications, Irv was there,
with MDM740, IMP, BYE5, KMD and so many other applications and utilities vital
to us in those days.  Some were original, others were built from the work of
others.  And, like many of the pioneers of shared software (NOT shareware
software), Irv released his source code freely, with comments and assistance.
Although he took fierce pride in his work, and was occasionally the focus of
some controversy, he was always wiling to help others and to learn from others
how to improve his own work.  Moreover, Irv actually *encouraged* voice
contact at almost any hour - an extreme rarity among hackers. Much of what Irv
has done has survived to today - buried in countless DOS applications and
utilities as algorithms.

   Anyway, it appears that Irv is not long for this world, quite frankly, and
is suffering from advanced colon cancer.  I was shocked, actually, to see him
show up to tonight's PRACSA meeting.  Judging from his recent messages on the
PRACSA board, I didn't expect to see him again, ever.  He's looking mighty
weak and thin these days, but seemed in relatively good shape, considering,
and brought his wife to meet us.  Recent messages from Irv indicated he
thought he might not see October, much less Christmas, but maybe he's got a
few weeks' reprieve.

   So, for those who know or know of Irv, I thought you should be aware of the
current situation.  I'm sure that some contact from his friends would be most
appreciated now, while he can still deal with the outside world.  He finds it
very hard to even get to his BBS out in the radio room these days, but DOES
check in when he can.

   Let's use the communication pathways that Irv pioneered to get in touch, at
least once, and let him know we're here, and that he's remembered and
appreciated, ok?  His BBS number (PRACSA) is 415-948-2513 in Los Atos Hills,
CA, and can be reached via CAPAL if you use PC Pursuit.
        Regards,
                Jim


The CP/M community will surely miss Irv, who has produced a vast collection
of excellent Public Domain software. I hope and pray that the work he has
done will be with us for many years, and that his memory never fades away.

       dg
-- 
Our hope is in the name of the LORD, who hath made Heaven and Earth.