Source: Leisure Audio Books newsletter, The Auditorium, 19 August 2007
Kevin Eric Anderson, one of the founders of Leisure Audio Books, passed away on 11 August 2007. He collapsed and passed away on his way to his pool. Kevin had been battling several illnesses in recent years, including high blood pressure and diabetes, as well as complications from an earlier bout with cancer in 1992. He was 56 years old.
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Kevin: The Person
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To say Kevin was an extraordinary person, a dynamically amazing individual, a generous and thoroughly geniune soul, would all be a vast understatement. In fact no words do him justice. He was so gifted, so talented and yet so down-to-earth, approachable and just plain friendly, that he will be sorely missed by all those he touched.
Kevin was the real deal. He was vastly intelligent, with a recorded IQ of 180 and acceptance into UCLA at the age of 16 to prove it. Kevin had been one of the pioneers of the computer industry, working as a programmer as early as 1967, even before he went to college. And he made many significant contributions to the business (see below). Yet, like so many truly intelligent people, this was of little matter to him... he was much more interested in his next project, his next idea and working out the plans to bring them about. That's what mattered... when it came to work, that's what he cared about. Not who he was, or who you were-- just the work and accomplishing a goal.
Yet he was incredibly sensitive, caring and generous to all he met, too. People came first, no matter the situation. He was the kind of person who listened carefully when someone talked of their problems, and did anything and everything in his power to help. He had several chances to patent his work, but insisted on leaving it open for anyone to use, truly believing it was more important that it was shared, than whether he made a profit. He donated to charities regularly and had personally helped out many of the members in his first company, Cognigen Networks, Inc., when they were in dire straits.
In the last few days since Kevin's passing, numerous tributes have been posted about him on the internet, in blogs and forums, by friends that had known him for a great many years. Each speaks eloquently of his contributions, his accomplishments and his brilliance. But the true magic of Kevin Anderson was his matter of fact sensibility, his sensitivity and generosity and very genuine desire to help others.
Kevin made every person he met feel special and important, for he saw in each their best abilities and made it clear he would support them in any way he could. He will be sorely missed by all those who knew him.
To see just a few of these tributes, please go to
http://www.thedigest.com/articles/203/10.html
http://www.comtechnews.net/search-marketing/the-loss-of-kevin-anderson
http://www.homebusinessblogs.com/archives/305/please-help-me-remember-my-dear-friend-kevin-anderson/
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Kevin: His Contributions
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Like many real geniuses, Kevin never boasted about his abilities or accomplishments, preferring instead, to remain practical about the business at hand. So it was sometimes hard to remember how much he gave the world in his brief life.
Off-Line
Among many other accomplishments prior to working online, Kevin was on the team which first created the protocol that allowed different computers to communicate with each other. In other words, he literally helped make it possible to create the internet that we commonly know and use today. This protocol is why you can sit in your home and dial up a central computer and gain access to everything on the internet.
Cognigen Networks, Inc.
He and his wife, Laurel, founded one of the oldest and most well-established internet companies, Cognigen Networks, Inc. In doing so, he also created the first affiliate system, writing the first self-replicating affiliate page. While he might have copywritten this information for his own profit, instead he chose to allow others to use it freely, feeling this would help many people earn money online. Especially in a company like Leisure Audio Books, this contribution cannot be over-emphasized.
If not for Kevin and this work, none of us would have the option to earn a living through any affiliate system. Not in any program, not anywhere.
Kevin Was Here
Kevin also wrote many other codes, such as the one that integrates personalization on splash pages in the traffic exchanges -- every time you see a splash page with your own name on it, Kevin was the one to make that possible. In a way, it's like a small symbol that says, "Kevin Was Here."
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Kevin: Personal Background
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Besides his many professional accomplishments, Kevin was also a talented musician, as well as a great supporter of his wife's passion for breeding Great Danes and Chihuahuas. He also owned a collection of parrots.
Kevin is survived by his wife, Laurel, and their two daughters.
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Kevin Anderson: All Seeing Master of Time, Space & Dimension
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One of the first stories Kevin ever told me (and, I believe, one of his favorite) came about when, upon learning of his founding Cognigen, I asked him if he was a "guru." Typical of him, he gently and inoffensively let it be known that he hated and detested any kind of title, which he thought was the silliest of vanities. And then he added this brief anecdote:
"Once when I was with a new company in the role of VP/R&D, the president asked me what I thought my title should be. I told him I had always wanted to be, 'All Seeing Master of Time, Space and Dimension.' So he put a sign on my door that said: Kevin E Anderson, ASMTSD."
Then he laughed uproariously.
This is just one, small example of Kevin's sense of humor.
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A Tribute: By Franscisca Kruissink
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Many years ago, several decades ago, there was no internet.
There were computers but there was no internet.
As you probably know the internet is many computers connected to each other.
However for the internet to work the computers have to "understand" each other, they must connect in the same way, a protocol, so they all can work together.
One day a group of people came together and set this up, without this group of people the internet wouldn't be as it is now.
You wouldn't be able to read this, you wouldn't be able to mail, to chat or do anything where 2 or more computers are involved.
Today the birds shouldn't have song.
Today the leaves of the trees shouldn't have moved.
Yesterday the birds shouldn't have song either nor the day before nor should the leaves have moved.
All should have been silent from Saturday afternoon on.
The most humble man I've ever communicated with, the man that, together with another group of people, made such a huge difference to the world, passed away.
It is too much to mention all the other things Kevin has done even the things I know would be too much to mention and I sure don't know all the things he has done.
Think about it the next time when you get online. Without Kevin and his group this
wouldn't have been possible.
Kevin made and makes a huge difference in millions of lives, he will live forth in
the hearts of his beloved wife, his children his friends. God took him so young, we lost immense all of us, who knows what more he could have done for millions of people? Even if he wouldn't do a single thing Kevin made the world a brighter, better place to live.
It is sad for the world. I know the world became darker because he passed away. It is hard to lose a good friend. It is hard you passed away Kevin. The happiness heaven will have now, we had to give away, but Kevin you will live on in many
hearts for as long as we live. Kevin, heaven is happy because you are there, we are sad.
Today the birds shouldn't have song.
Today the leaves of the trees shouldn't have moved.
Yesterday the birds shouldn't have song either nor the day before nor should the
leaves have moved.
All should have been silent from Saturday afternoon on.
-- Franscisca Kruissink
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Leisure Audio Books: The Future
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For any who may wonder, please be assured, Leisure Audio Books will continue to grow and succeed, despite this untimely and most unfortunate loss. Kevin's enthusiasm for this program, his certainty that it would succeed and help many more people, only strengthen our determination to ensure its success, in honor of Kevin's memory.
The family asks that, should anyone wish to, in lieu of cards or flowers, please send donations to the National Autism Foundation, in Kevin's name.
