Ada 83 designer Jean Ichbiah dies

Sadly we report the passing away of Jean Ichbiah, the lead designer of the original Ada language.

Jean had been diagnosed with a brain tumor in September 2005 and fought tenaciously throughout the treatment. He died in the early evening of Friday, January 26, 2007, at home as he wished, surrounded by family and friends. Funeral services were held on Tuesday, January 30, in Burlington, Massachusetts, where he lived these last years.

Dr. Jean Ichbiah led the team at Cii Honeywell Bull that won the Ada language design competition in the late 1970s. In 1979 he was awarded the French Legion of Honor. In 1980 he founded Alsys, one of the pioneering Ada development tools companies, and while at Alsys he guided the design work culminating in the standardization of the language that would become known as Ada 83.

Ben Brosgol, president of the Ada Resource Association, said: "The computing community has lost one of its shining lights. Jean was an amazing individual who combined technical brilliance with a keen sense of aesthetics. His pioneering contributions to Ada truly advanced the state of the art in language design. We will miss him."

And to quote John Barnes, long-time president of Ada-Europe: "Jean had an amazing understanding of the basic concepts concerning what programming was really about. Ada may have its flaws but it is a damn sight better than anything else I know. Jean will be remembered as the inspiration for ideas which have driven many of our careers."

We mourn the passing of a great mind.