[Air-L] RIP Prof Dave Farber (Keio CCRC and the longrunning 'Interesting People' listserv)

[Richard Forno]

Hi AoIRistas --

This just crossed my feeds today. I'm very sad to share that we lost an internet legend and critical technology thinker this weekend.

https://mailarchive.ietf.org/arch/msg/ietf/hyJBX_lXzJ8bXBpAyImNCXOW_no/

----- Forwarded message from "Cherry, Hei Yui WONG" <cherry.heiyui at keio.jp> -----

> Date: Sun, 8 Feb 2026 11:06:40 +0900
> From: "Cherry, Hei Yui WONG" <cherry.heiyui at keio.jp>
> Subject: Sad news: Dave Farber has passed away
> 
> We are heartbroken to report that our colleague -- our mentor, friend, and
> conscience -- David J. Farber passed away suddenly at his home in Roppongi,
> Tokyo. He left us on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, at the too-young age of 91.
> 
> To his son Manny, he was simply ???Dad???, his bedrock whom he will miss
> immeasurably. They spoke almost daily by video throughout his time in
> Japan, and shared special times on numerous visits. He is survived by son
> Manny Farber and daughter-in-law Mei Xu, daughter-in-law Carol Hagan and
> grandsons Nate Farber and Sam Farber. He was preceded in death by his wife
> Gloria (G.G.) and son Joe Farber.
> 
> Dave???s career began with his education at Stevens Institute of Technology,
> which he loved deeply and served as a Trustee. He joined the legendary Bell
> Labs during its heyday, and worked at the Rand Corporation. Along the way,
> among countless other activities, he served as Chief Technologist of the
> U.S. Federal Communications Commission; became a proficient
> (instrument-rated) pilot; and was an active board member of the Electronic
> Frontier Foundation, a digital civil-liberties organization.
> 
> His professional accomplishments and impact are almost endless, but often
> captured by one moniker: ???grandfather of the Internet,??? acknowledging the
> foundational contributions made by his many students at the University of
> California, Irvine; the University of Delaware; the University of
> Pennsylvania; and Carnegie Mellon University
> 
> In 2018, at the age of 83, Dave moved to Japan to become Distinguished
> Professor at Keio University and Co-Director of the Keio Cyber Civilization
> Research Center (CCRC). He loved teaching, and taught his final class on
> January 22, 2026.
> 
> At CCRC, one of his most enjoyable activities was co-hosting the IP-Asia
> online gathering, which has met every Monday for more than five years and
> has addressed many aspects of the impact of technology on civilization.
> Dave thrived in Japan in every way.
> 
> We, the IP-Asia community, will gather for an online remembrance of Dave at
> the usual time and place, 2100 JST on Monday, February 9, 2026.
> 
> It???s impossible to summarize a life and career as rich and long as Dave???s
> in our few words here. And each of us, even those who knew him for decades,
> represent just one facet of his life.  But because we are here at its end,
> we have the sad duty of sharing this news. Further information and a more
> formal obituary are forthcoming.
> 
> With condolences to Manny and the rest of the family,
> 
> Jiro Kokuryo
> Cherry Wong
> Kaori Suzuki
> Rodney Van Meter
> Dan Gillmor
> 
> Manny can be reached at manny.farber at gmail.com <mailto:manny.farber at gmail.com>.

----- End forwarded message -----

RIP, Dave.  All of us Interesting People have been touched in one way or other by your work, thoughts, and thoughtfulness over the many years, and will miss you.

-- rick

-- 
Richard F. Forno, Ph.D. 
Teaching Professor, CSEE
Director, Graduate Cybersecurity Programs
Associate Director, UMBC Cybersecurity Institute
Affiliate Scholar, Stanford Law School Center for Internet and Society