In memory of Peter Nielsen

Peter was my uncle and friend. I live in South Africa and so have not ever been able to see him much but have kept in touch by e-mail. We shared a sense of humour and often just e-mailed each other jokes. He kept in touch with us here in South Africa and phoned very often telling us all about what he is cooking and what his garden is looking like.

It was a shock to learn of his untimely death and it will be very strange to think that he is no longer here. Peter loved life and was full of fun and jokes, he was inspiration to me academically and always spurred me on to greater achievements academically. Peter was brilliant and expected a lot of me in my studies and always encouraged me in all I did job-wise and with all my studies. He always told me to do what I want to do and because of him I am now studying again. He never knew that I had registered to study again and I know that wherever he is he would be proud of me.

Thank you to all those of you who sent us cards and phoned us.

Peter you will be greatly missed and I will never forget you and your contagious laugh!!!!

When I first met him, we were trying to announce Linux server consolidation offering within IGS Japan. We asked for his advice on it, based on what he had done in the US. When he came to Tokyo for that, I knew that he had been in Japan as a Math professor for while. As I majored in Math at my university, I felt so familiar with that.. From that day on, we were supported by him many times, and thanks to him. a very special chance for the OSS CoP members came in the summer of 2004. Members from a variety of regions got together in Tokyo for an OSS CoP meeting, and it was very beneficial for all of us. Not only the meeting was great but we very much enjoyed the night, too. Unfortunately, that day is when I last saw him, but I ‘ve got very precious photos from that day. Peter, Albert, Brendan, Chris, Kim-san and I went to Roppongi after dinner and drunk all of beer the bar had! Apparently, Peter didn’t want to do Karaoke, but eventually, sang some, and I believe he enjoyed a lot.
Thank you for everything, Peter. I will pray for you in Heaven. -Rika Murakami (Japan)

From the left – Chris Dawson, Rika Murakami, Brendan Kelly, Albert T Wong, and Peter Nielsen in Roppongi

OSS CoP meeting @ IBM Hakozaki office 23th Jul, 2004

Needless to say, Peter was one of those individuals who defined the word individual. By losing him so soon, we truly have lost one of IBM’s great personalities. It’s probably Peter’s way of telling us all about how difficult it is to have a work/life balance we can all use.

Most of my memories of Peter are either in a bar in some far off location or on Sametime, talking about the silliness of life or our grid ISV’s…..usually a combined thought. Peter had a way of driving straight to the point about issues. We always had a laugh when it came to work as Peter understood that if you couldn’t laugh, then work wasn’t worth it. Dealing with the grid ISV’s as we did, if we hadn’t laughed together, I’m not sure either one of us would have lasted.

Peter….I hold my drink up high and toast to your new journey! May your flight not be delayed and may you not miss your connection.

I’ve just seen a mail which had given me the information of Peter and i’m shocked.. in my experience within linux team working with Peter has been always exciting ..sharing passion and working to get best results for IBM in the Linux arena.I’ve met him in Copenaghen and was really an unforgettable experience for me. Peter you’ll miss us really and every time i’ll need to find energy in my work for sure i will remember as example how has been working with you. Ciao amico mio

i met peter twice…
once in New york and once in singapore when we did a Grid training together.

though i do not really know him very well, it is surely sad to see him go, and i am sure he will be missed by all who know him.

always jovial, and smart.. he is really an inspiration for those who have met him.

his focus and energy has definately left a deep impression on me in the short period of time that i have known him

Peter, you will be missed

Benjamin Khoo (Singapore)

I first met Peter in January 2003 when my Grid team combined with his Linux team … a business “marriage of convenience” that yielded a great friendship. At first, I wasn’t sure what to make of the man with the interesting accent, devilish grin, penchant for mischief and amazing stories. It became clear quickly that although he didn’t suffer fools and he was action oriented, the real essence of Peter was his passion, humor, intellect and humanity. I was thrilled to call him my colleague and more importantly, my friend.

Peter and I teamed up and traveled the world evangelizing both Grid and Open Source, driving customer deals, building skills in various parts of the world with bootcamp education sessions and of course sponsoring two high energy Communities of Practice where we reached thousands of IBMers many of whom also feel his loss.

We tackled complex and valuable work but more importantly, he focused on what mattered, the life experiences and the people. Peter took a personal interest in you and paid attention to the details that matter. I truly believe he got more joy out of seeing a junior colleague learn and grow than he would have in getting personal recognition. He didn’t get caught up in the bureaucracy although he was attentive to it. Most importantly, Peter always focused on the experience at hand, doing the right thing and a healthy quality of life … shut the laptop, turn off the cel phone and pay attention to the person you are with rather than have seven chat sessions running like the good little A.D.D.-in-training people he accused us all of becoming.

I’ve raised a glass with him all across Asia, Europe and the US and I looked forward to each meal together since I knew it would be the highlight of our trip (except of course the food poisoning we shared in Paris). It’s a unique person that can discuss open source legal issues, horticulture, growth business models, gambling and card counting lore, learning models, music, spectacular wine, Dutch shipping, fine soaps and linens, math dissertations in German, gourmet cooking and surfing all in one sitting.

Over the course of this past year, although we moved into different areas at work our conversations were frequent and two topics always came up … more travel plans and the next interesting challenge for either of us. Peter set the bar on travel and enjoying life. He also had a desire to explore the next unknown. So, I wish him well on this new journey but not goodbye as I expect that someday we’ll meet again, perhaps only in my memories but I’ll certainly remember his laugh, sly look and the lesson he taught me to appreciate every moment.

Bon voyage Peter ….

Paul Magnone

The day I met Peter, he came out of the “Blue” on Notes to give me advice on how to do my job. Of course it was in his sarcastic and cynical way. From that moment on, we shared our jabs and quickly became friends (that was in 2001). I always looked forward to meetings with Peter because he put life into all meetings, while making sure he had fun after. I can see from all the posted memories that Peter has made lasting impressions on a lot of people. It confirms how great of a person he was. Discussions with Peter always made me laugh; however, many times I had to go home and do some research to fully understand his quick and intelligent wit. He is the professor. I feel lucky that I got to know Peter as a friend and business colleague.

Peter, my friend, I will miss you. Someday, I will eat the fugu you tried to make me eat.

Russ

It is quite difficult to write down thoughts on Peter because he made such an impression in such a short time that there are so many things I can say about him and yet although we often spoke to each other I only met him three times, it is difficult to do him justice.

He had real charisma, we would trade jibes and exchange opinions but always with real humour and caring. He had many qualities that appeared as contradictions: he was self-effacing and yet in control; he had knowledge and insights, yet always made you feel equal and valued; he had strong opinions but was never opinionated; critical and charming at the same time.

I remember Peter mentioning his garden and he created this image in my mind of an English garden in the middle of Texas and as an Englishman that always seemed unbelievable and yet believable because it was Peter, and now I find that it is true. That was Peter, unbelievable that someone can leave such a lasting impression in such a short amount of time, yet truely a human being that by just being himself can touch your soul.

I can still see him now as if he is sitting next to me, I can hear his voice still.

Sorely missed, I wish I could tell him, I guess he knows.

I first met Peter at LinuxWorld in San Francisco back in August 2001. However, I didn’t really come to know him until I joined the Open Source Community of Practice as part of the core team in early 2002. As I joined the CoP calls week after week, I began to get to know Peter and appreciate his vast knowledge, his knack for strategic thinking, and his dry humor. It wasn’t so much the words he used to greet me weekly on those calls, it was the tone he used that said “you are welcome here.” Peter was one of the few IBMers I first met after coming in by merger that didn’t constantly try to change me to do things the IBM way, but rather he seemed to value my unique perspective.

Over time, Peter became a strong advocate for me and my career development. Earlier this year he wrote me a letter of support and agreed to be interviewed for my senior certification. Many times he gave me opportunities to lead efforts in the CoP and taught me by example how to think more strategically.

I also have some fond memories of Peter at our face-to-face CoP meetings in New York City. We worked hard and we accomplished a lot then we went out to celebrate. I especially remember having a fun dinner at Asia de Cuba with Peter and Paul Magnone and the entire core team. Peter tried to make sure that people felt a part of the group and knew they were appreciated.

I was always amazed by Peter’s diverse interests. On one occasion he shared with me that he was learning Turkish cooking and we quickly discovered his area of interest was my husband’s home region in Turkey. Next time we met face to face I shared with him some spices and recipes while we laughed about our novice mishaps. He had the ability to identify with people from very diverse backgrounds and find a common interest.

I’m really going to miss Peter as a valued mentor, colleague and friend. I wish Peter, his family and friends peace and comfort.

“Given my academic background, what I’m going to do is drone incomprehensibly for awhile, and then I’ll give everybody an F and we’ll meet my metric for the semester. If you thought Ryan’s stuff was dry, be ready to choke like you’re eating Corn Flakes with no milk. I’m going to talk about contracts, contractual obligations, and other such exciting things. ”
-Dr. Peter Nielsen, IGS Linux and Grid Alliance Executive
April 16, 2003: New York City, IBM Global Services Grid Computing Bootcamp