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RIP, Gerv Markham

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Moz/FF
Obits

  • Remembering Gerv Markham

    Gerv Markham, a friend and mentor to many in the Mozilla community, passed away last night surrounded by his family.

    Gerv worked at Mozilla for many years working in a variety of capacities including being a lead developer of Bugzilla and most recently working on special projects under the Mozilla Chairwoman.

    I had the pleasure of working with Gerv in the Thunderbird community and most recently on the MOSS Grants Committee as one of the inaugural members. Between these two areas, I often sought Gerv’s mentoring and advice, as he always had wisdom to share.

  • Daniel Glazman: Gerv, oh Gerv Sad

In Memoriam: Gervase Markham

  • In Memoriam: Gervase Markham

    I met Gerv in the early 2000s, after he'd already been diagnosed. He has always been very public about his illness. He was frank with all who knew him that his life expectancy was sadly well below average due to that illness. So, this outcome isn't a surprise nor a shock, but it is nevertheless sad and unfortunate for all who knew him.

    I really liked Gerv. I found him insightful and thoughtful. His insatiable curiosity for my primary field — FLOSS licensing — was a source of enjoyment for me in our many conversations on the subject. Gerv was always Socratic in his approach: he asked questions, rather than make statements, even when it was pretty obvious he had an answer of his own; he liked to spark debate and seek conversation. He thoughtfully considered the opinions of others and I many times saw his positions change based on new information. I considered him open-minded and an important contributor to FLOSS licensing thought.

    I bring up Gerv's open-mindedness because I know that many people didn't find him so, but, frankly, I think those folks were mistaken. It is well documented publicly that Gerv held what most would consider particularly “conservative values”. And, I'll continue with more frankness: I found a few of Gerv's views offensive and morally wrong. But Gerv was also someone who could respectfully communicate his views. I never felt the need to avoid speaking with him or otherwise distance myself. Even if a particular position offended me, it was nevertheless clear to me that Gerv had come to his conclusions by starting from his (a priori) care and concern for all of humanity. Also, I could simply say to Gerv: "I really disagree with that so much", and if it became clear our views were just too far apart to productively discuss the matter further, he'd happily and collaboratively find another subject for us to discuss. Gerv was a reasonable man. He could set aside fundamental disagreements and find common ground to talk with, collaborate with, and befriend those who disagreed with him. That level of kindness and openness is rarely seen in our current times.

By Robert O'Callahan

  • Gerv

    I never spent very much time with him, but I really appreciated getting together at Mozilla events with Gerv and a small group of other Mozilla Christians to pray every morning. That tradition continues, and long may it do so!

By Marcia Knous

  • Farewell Gerv

    I worked with Gerv all the way back to his days as a Mozilla intern. He had a significant impact on the Mozilla Project in so many ways, and will be sorely missed. He was a community-centric Mozillian who was involved in licensing, governance, Bugzilla, and so many other areas.

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