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| Ken Hall is shown at the National
Liberty Ship Memorial, the S.S. Jeremiah O’Brian, docked
at Pier 45 in Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco. Ken
spent the day in San Francisco before his trip to Russia where
he attended his last EMC conference, the 7th International
Symposium and Exhibition on Electromagnetic Compatibility
and Electromagnetic Ecology in Saint Petersburg, Russia, held
June 26-29, 2007. |
I’ve worked for Hewlett-Packard for 25
years, the last 20 years with Ken. I became his manager nine years
ago in the EMC test lab we have in Roseville, California. I tell
you this because there’s a few of us at HP that have been
around him for this time, and longer, and because we all consider
ourselves extremely fortunate and proud to have known such a great
soul. I could go on and on about Ken’s incredible work accomplishments,
the hundreds of people that he worked with inside and outside
of HP, and the great number of research projects that he conducted.
I could tell you about the hundreds of emails I’ve received
since Ken passed away from people all over the world sending their
condolences and best wishes. I could even tell you how all of
us wondered, on a daily basis, how a man his age could outwork
and get more done than any of us in the department. I’d
prefer to let you know what Ken meant to all of us that worked
with him day after day and the incredible impact he had on all
of us. He was our best friend, our mentor, our teacher, our advocate
- our heart and soul. Ken was dedicated, honest, and stubborn,
had incredible integrity, was extremely loyal and was enormously
passionate about his work and how he lived his life. I also have
to say that I loved the fact that Ken would interrupt a work teleconference
just to say hi to his wife Denise on the phone. I could go on
and on but I think you get the idea. For those of us that worked
with him, it’s our own stories - and believe me, we all
have a lot of great stories to tell - that are the most special.
These stories, that we each have, will stay with us forever. These
stories are how we will remember our friend and keep his memory
alive. I also have to say that the stories Ken told were amazing
as well. Obviously, this man lived a full and incredible life.
And I think that is the simple lesson to be learned from Ken –
do your best and enjoy what you do – no matter what it is
that is important to you. So, let me end with my own little story.
When I met Ken 20 years ago, he was, well, a little rough around
the edges. He was a man that worked hard and expected everyone
else to do the same, or get out of his way. As time passed, I
got to know him better, and I realized that this was just his
style. And I have to say, as he got older, he did mellow out a
little bit. Anyway, quite a few years back, my family was on a
camping trip with some friends one weekend when Ken and Denise
dropped by to visit. Instead of hanging out with the adults, Ken
immediately went over to the campfire and insisted on teaching
all the kids that were there, and there were quite a few small
kids, how to make s’mores. He and the kids had a wonderful
time! The joy I saw in that man that night and the glisten in
his eyes will live with me forever. Ken, we already miss you.
And we will never, ever forget you.
Editor’s Note: Many thanks to Mark Harmon for sharing this
tribute which was presented at the memorial service for Ken Hall
on Wednesday, September 19, 2007. Ken Hall died on September 9
from pancreatic cancer. The family requests that in lieu of flowers
contributions be made to The American Cancer Society. Friends
of Ken Hall are invited to share memories of Ken by sending an
e-mail to KenHall_Stories@hotmail.com
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