Gene Crick
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peter miller
Aug 19, 2019, 1:56:55 PM8/19/19
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Folks, I got the sad notice of Gene Crick’s passing last Thursday from Michael Maranda along with some details posted by his friend Tom Swinnea. The bio for this coming spring’s Broadband Communities Summit — at https://www.bbcmag.com/bios/crick-gene — is a pointed sum-up for those of us who remember Gene primarily from his community networking work.
best, ----peter
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This post is for Daily Texan former staffers of a certain era, and a tremendous number of other people touched by one man's life. Gene Crick, who wrote under the name Colin Hunter at the University, died August 15 at his home near Bastrop. Cause of death was an apparent heart attack.
Gene's time in journalism during the 1970s was his second visit to the Forty Acres. In the mid-1960s he studied computer science, even though the university would not offer an undergraduate degree in the subject until 1974. While at UT the first time around, he also worked for the Texas Ranger, a school satire magazine, and had the good sense to heartily approve any photo shoot of then University of Texas student Farrah Fawcett.
Gene worked on several political campaigns, including a notable one in Corpus Christi. If the hotel room he shared with another staffer and sometimes the staffer's infant got a little too much to handle, Gene was not above throwing rocks at your window until you woke up, walked downstairs, and let him in so he could sleep on the couch. He also told you where the key was to his Austin apartment so you could crash there when you were in town, whether or not he was there or somewhere else.
He melded computers with writing and became a national highly recognized public interest community technology leader. His work brought broadband technology to hundreds of thousands of rural Texans. Along the way, he married Lisa, the love of his life. He met her at Cain & Abel's bar when he was working as a "it pays the bills" bartender. Lisa died in 2016, in the same house where Gene passed away last Thursday.
best, ----peter
= = = = =
This post is for Daily Texan former staffers of a certain era, and a tremendous number of other people touched by one man's life. Gene Crick, who wrote under the name Colin Hunter at the University, died August 15 at his home near Bastrop. Cause of death was an apparent heart attack.
Gene's time in journalism during the 1970s was his second visit to the Forty Acres. In the mid-1960s he studied computer science, even though the university would not offer an undergraduate degree in the subject until 1974. While at UT the first time around, he also worked for the Texas Ranger, a school satire magazine, and had the good sense to heartily approve any photo shoot of then University of Texas student Farrah Fawcett.
Gene worked on several political campaigns, including a notable one in Corpus Christi. If the hotel room he shared with another staffer and sometimes the staffer's infant got a little too much to handle, Gene was not above throwing rocks at your window until you woke up, walked downstairs, and let him in so he could sleep on the couch. He also told you where the key was to his Austin apartment so you could crash there when you were in town, whether or not he was there or somewhere else.
He melded computers with writing and became a national highly recognized public interest community technology leader. His work brought broadband technology to hundreds of thousands of rural Texans. Along the way, he married Lisa, the love of his life. He met her at Cain & Abel's bar when he was working as a "it pays the bills" bartender. Lisa died in 2016, in the same house where Gene passed away last Thursday.
Pierre Clark
Aug 19, 2019, 2:48:27 PM8/19/19
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Sorry to hear this news. I knew Gene Crick from our CTCNet days and he was a pioneer in community technology in Texas and around the country. His work impacted many and I was glad to know him and talk with him a few times during our conferences and I think I remember him being at the Broadband Conference in Tinley Park a few years ago. A loss for our community and our movement
Pierre Clark
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Hallman, Judy
Aug 19, 2019, 3:40:41 PM8/19/19
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Thank you, Peter, for letting us know. I have good memories of Gene, conferences in Austin, CTCNet, Free-Nets, Ties That Bind, and all the good people from those days.
Judy (now with NCTech4Good)
Judy (now with NCTech4Good)
John Zoltner
Aug 19, 2019, 4:22:24 PM8/19/19
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Thanks so much, Peter.
In my opinion, Gene was the funniest guy in community networking/technology, and I was proud to know him, if only at CTCNet conferences and the like.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/ctcnet-listserv/BN6PR03MB2529A46F9FD5F82FA119C7318BA80%40BN6PR03MB2529.namprd03.prod.outlook.com.
Felicia Sullivan
Aug 19, 2019, 4:37:36 PM8/19/19
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Such a great communicator of all that was CTNet. His impact was not lost on me, for sure. Kudos to a life well lived and with impact.
F
Sent from my iPhone
F
Sent from my iPhone
David Geilhufe
Aug 21, 2019, 2:08:11 PM8/21/19
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Thanks Peter for letting us know.
I have fond memories of a conversation or two when I found myself in Texas over the years. He (and a lot of folks on this list) continue to be guiding light as I chart my course through technology & social good.
David Geilhufe
Aug 23, 2019, 6:42:51 PM8/23/19
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Doesn't have Gene, but has a lot of the crew!
Front (l to r): Carl Davidson (Chicago Coalition for Information Access, Chicago, IL), Jennifer Dorsen (Faces of Tomorrow, Somerville, MA), Stephanie McIntyre (TechnoTots, Perth Amboy, NJ), Kate Snow (Codman Sq. Health Center, Dorchester, MA). Standing behind Carl: Karen Wade (FSS-Project T.E.C.H., a project of Community Partners, L.A., CA), Rose Mabwa (holding Kala Mabwa) (Shorebank Development Resident Services), Marlene Archer (New Visions, Waltham, MA). In rear, David Geilhufe (Eastmont Computing Center, Oakland, CA), Askia Foreman (CLUSTER, Yonkers, NY), Erroll Reese (RTPnet/EasyWeb, Research Triangle Park, NC) and Ken Wyrick (The Commons, L.A., CA).
Felicia Sullivan
Aug 23, 2019, 7:21:48 PM8/23/19
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Wow, such memories. Thanks for sharing
Sent from my iPhone
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