September 9, 1985

Stan Kelly-Bootle died in 2014. He was a folk singer and computer expert. Here is a biographical note:

'Liverpool-born Stan Kelly-Bootle has been exposed to computing, on and off and vice-versa, since 1953 when, after graduating in Pure Mathematics at Cambridge University, he switched to impure post-grad work on the wondrous EDSAC I. After some trenching with IBM and Univac in the 1960s and 70s, Stan opted for self-employment as a consultant, writer, folk-song revivalist, after-dinner entertainer, and cunning linguist.

'His monthly DA ("Devil's Advocate") column ran and ran in UNIX Review (aka Performance Computing) from 1984 until January 2000 (a date that will live in infamy) but lives on as SODA ("Son of DA") via www.sarcheck.com the homepage devoted to UNIX performance.'

'The latest of his umpteen books are "The Computer Contradictionary" (MIT Press) and "UNIX Complete" (Sybex). '

One of his daughters died young and unexpectedly: Anna Clare Bootle (June 13, 1954 to September 9, 1985). We read that she 'was a rising theater director, actress and dancer known for her love of wildlife art. Based in Geneva, Switzerland, Bootle passed away in her sleep from a brain hemorrhage at the age of 31.' Her sister, Carol Bailey, designed the tombstone for Bootle's grave in Highgate Cemetery. Here is a picture of it.