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+---
+layout: post
+topic: "Jacob Sparre Andersen"
+tags:
+- opensource
+- ada
+---
+
+I learned [this
+morning](https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/comp.lang.ada/ySdhKspI-8o) that a good man by the name of [Jacob Sparre
+Andersen](https://github.com/sparre)
+passed away over the weekend. While Jacob (sparre) is not the first person
+I know of to have died in the open source community, he is the
+first I interacted with on some frequency. A constant presence in the Ada developer
+community, most often I would chat with him in `#ada` on the Freenode network
+but we would also see each other once a year at [FOSDEM](https://fosdem.org).
+
+sparre was a tall lanky Dane with a slow, methodical, and deep voice who
+patiently shared all the knowledge and experience he had with the newbies and
+experienced hands alike. I don't believe I _ever_ saw a negative comment
+towards, or about anybody, from sparre. His ever present willingness to
+**help** is a behavior I envy, and wish I emulated more often than I actually
+do.
+
+Recently while cleaning out some old files, I ran across a demo repository he
+had shared with me in direct response to a question I had asked in `#ada`
+around potential plugin architectures for Ada. I made a mental note "this is
+really good code, I don't want to lose track of it!" before returning to my
+hacking.
+
+His positivity, willingness to listen, desire to help, and ability to share not
+only made sparre a great developer, but a good person.
+
+The Ada community just won't be the same without him.