Steve Jobs, Apple’s chairman of the board, and former CEO has passed away after a long bout with pancreatic cancer at the age of 56.
Not only does the death of a beloved figure remind us of our own mortality, but there is a real and present fear that Willy Wonka has died – that there’s no one else in the entire world who invents the beautiful future like him – and we’re terrified there’s no one else who can.
Apple has released the email that now CEO Tim Cook sent to the company’s staff alerting them of the news:
Team,
I have some very sad news to share with all of you. Steve passed away earlier today.
Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.
We are planning a celebration of Steve’s extraordinary life for Apple employees that will take place soon. If you would like to share your thoughts, memories and condolences in the interim, you can simply email rememberingsteve@apple.com.
No words can adequately express our sadness at Steve’s death or our gratitude for the opportunity to work with him. We will honor his memory by dedicating ourselves to continuing the work he loved so much.
Tim