I came to know today. I have taken one of his courses and I was member of GTISC where I got an opportunity to interact with him. He was one of the passionate researcher and one of the best professor I have interacted with. I am sorry for your loss.  Abhishek

I apologize for this late entry. I just found out about this today. I have worked with many of Karsten's students while they were interns at VMware, and I've always appreciated their depth and breadth. They are a reflection of Karsten. He was a gem.

Another memory: We are all still missing Karsten a lot!

I am so sorry to hear this. Karsten was in my PhD committee. He was one of the most passionate and dedicated researchers I have met in the Systems field. It is a tremendous loss to his family, Georgia Tech and everyone he has worked with. :( My thoughts are with his family... He will forever be dearly missed.

Dear Cheryl,

About Karsten's`death I`m very affected; I offer you one`s condolences.
I`m very sorry for you! It`s hard to live alone, in particular one has loved the Partner very much.
My dear husband, Erika's youngest brother, was near in the same age, when he died. It`s seventeen yeas ago ...

Best love greetings to you and your Family.

P.S. Sorry, I can only a bit English.

I have known and collaborated with Karsten for about 10 years. He was a gem of a person at heart and sincerely dedicated to the advancement of technology. I enjoyed a lot working with him and learned so much interacting with him. I was impressed by his passion, positive energy, humbleness, principles, and care for others. He mentored me to success in so many occasions and I will always be grateful to him for all his help and many hours of great research and technology discussions. He will forever be missed and remembered.

I met Karsten when I was a student, later became his collaborator when I joined academia myself. Although I was not his student, I have learned so much and received so much help from him. He was a great researcher in the systems field, a great advisor to his students, and a great leader of the community. He was a most inspiring role model to me, and no matter how busy he was, he was always willing and ready to help out. He was such a great character and will surely be missed by many. To Karsten's family, please accept my deepest and heartfelt condolences.

We were lucky enough to have Karsten for a brother-in-law thanks to my sister's excellent taste.  He will always stand out as being kind and patient, easy to talk to, and very smart.  He loved his work with a passion, as he loved his family.  Karsten was so proud of his children's accomplishments and goals.  And as for my sister Cheryl, well, whenever she walked into a room where Karsten was, his eyes would light up.  He always delighted in being around her.  We will miss him very, very much.
Marcia and Mitchell Angel

Karsten was one of the strongest and most active faculty when I joined Georgia Tech as dean in 1990. He continued in that way for the next 12 years while I was dean, and then well beyond. Moreover, he was always engaged in the affairs of the College of Computing and was not afraid to offer his opinions and suggestions. He was always courteous, friendly, and I considerd him to be a good friend. I will miss him. Peter Freeman

Dear Prof Cheryl and Family,

I am a PhD student who worked under prof. Schwan. I can not believe he is gone. He is a genius in the field. However I value, his humbleness and the kindness he showed, the most. I miss my adviser/mentor, it will be hard to replace him as he was the best adviser student could ask.  

My heartfelt condolences to Karstens family.

I am SO saddened and shocked by the news of Karsten's passing. He was loved by everyone in SCS and will definitely be missed. May God comfort his family during this difficult time. My prayers are with you.

As one of Karsten's Phd students, I think our sadness definitely will last for a long long time for his passing away. Karsten's smile, kindness will be missed forever. His passion on academia research will always encourage me going forward. We all miss you so much.

Dear Prof.Gaimon and family,

I am one of Prof.Karsten's PhD students. I have been advised by Prof.Karsten for over 6 years. I still could not believe Karsten's passing away is a truth. I can not imagine being finishing my PhD without his surrounding and guide. 

He is so nice, kind, and always smiling. He does not say beautiful word much, instead, he does things quietly for you. I remember I have a paper, which directly relates to my PhD thesis, being rejected several times. I have been upset for quite a long time. Karsten encouraged me and guided me to improve the work, and sent the paper draft to his friends in Academia to ask for comments. One thing really touched me is that, one day, he drove me to the Management department to meet with many professors, who gives us opinions from business view that motivates the paper better. He organized the meeting, invited these busy professors and set the schedule all by his own. He introduced me to them and I learned a lot. Finally, our paper got accepted by that year's ATC. 

The similar things happen many times. He is far more than an advisor for me. He takes care of us and does the best for us. I remember for these six years, when I was struggling with paper deadlines, I was always surprised by how fast he responsed online with emails when I sent him the papers. I cannot put in words how grateful I am for all such moments where he helped me and guided me.

I remember the first time when I went to international conference to give a talk. I am so nervous. Karsten helped me prepared and told me that I will be there, everything will be fine. And he has been there for all my presentations in conferences. The most recent one is at Philadelphia. Even one day before the presentation, I am doing the rehearsal talk with Karsten. He knew that I am easy to be nervous, but still he provided me many opportunities such as giving lessons in his courses, seminar, group meeting to make me practice.  

I regretted a lot I have not expressed my gratitude to you. If I had a chance, I would say many many thanks. 

I will never forget our hundreds of weekly meetings, your face and your smile. Prof.Karsten, I will miss you.

Liting Hu, PhD student of Prof.Karsten, 2015

Dear Cheryl, Valerie and Philipp,

It was with complete shock and disbelief that I received the news from Peter that Karsten has passed away. I was always sure to meet him again sometimes, even if our last meeting was almost two decades ago. Karsten was a central figure in the Kiel circle during our student days, and I always remember fondly not only these days but also meeting you for the first time in Hanover in the late 1970s, as well as our subsequent holiday in Miami / Key West over Christmas and New Year 1981-82 and my week-long visit to your home in Tucker. I will now treasure these moments with you and Karsten even more but I still cannot believe that he is no longer with us.

Please accept my sincere condolences, and I am thinking of you in these difficult times.

In deep mourning,

I was one of Karsten's Master's students. He was a great teacher and a very kind person. He gave me an opportunity to work with him during Master's and guided me throughout the process. His encouragement during the time helped me a lot to move forward and I will treasure the lessons and memories for ever. I am extremely sorry for your loss. Rest in peace, Professor.

Dear Cheryl, Valerie, and Philip,
So very sorry to hear of the passing of Karsten. I will always see him walking down Midvale Road. I will be thinking and praying for you all.

Dear Cheryl, 

I was very saddened when I heard the news. He was not only a very smart and dedicated scientist, but also a humorous and nice person, a brilliant scholar, and a loving and devoted man to his family. I remember the time we got to show you around my hometown in Ankara a bit, and the time we got to spend altogether in Atlanta last year. Having a chance to be a part of conversations with him and learn from them, and to be able to enjoy his witty humor, I feel lucky that I got to know Karsten. Daniel and I will both miss him. Him, I and my parents wish you our deepest condolences.

Gulru and Daniel

Karsten gave me an opportunity to work with him during my Master's and guided me throughout. Although it was for a short period of time, I am very fortunate to have worked with him. He was an approachable and energetic professor, always open to discussions, a confidence-inspiring mentor, and a great person. I am highly grateful to him for all his help and advice. My deepest condolences to you. For me, cs@gatech will not be the same without him.

Alles hat seine Zeit.
Es gibt eine Zeit der Stille, eine Zeit des Schmerzes und der Trauer, aber auch eine Zeit der dankbaren Erinnerung. I tried to think of Karsten with a smile.

Dear Cheryl and family,

I was one of Karsten's PhD students. It is hard to imagine Karsten not being around in person, but his principles, kindness, and warm smile will always stay with me. 
When I used to work on paper deadlines and deal with submission rejections after, Karsten was always very encouraging and I used to be so amazed by the passion he had for Computer Systems and his work. His ability to stay focused on the process and what can be done within one's control while not caring much about the end result will always encourage me to move forward in my work and life.
My heartfelt condolences to you, I will miss Karsten very much.

It's a very sad day for me. I learned that Karsten is no longer with us. Only once I had an opportunity to work with him in person but I will remember him as great researcher, enthusiast, and organizer.

Dear Cheryl, Valerie, and Phillip,

Please accept my heartfelt condolences. Every student has a unique/different relationship with his/her advisor. Karsten was like a father to me. I could turn to him for anything, knowing that he would guide me and care for me just like a father would for his child. He always had my best interest in mind. He was the strongest champion of my work. He made sure that my work was recognized in the community, and made sure that I had secured a wonderful career opportunity well before even completing my Ph.D. His unwavering faith in me was my greatest strength and motivation. It is what drove me to give my best. All I ever cared for was for him to be happy with me, with my work. I love him, and miss him dearly. I cannot even imagine how difficult it must be for all of you. I knew him for 5 years, and yet he has had such a profound impact on my life. I just hope and pray that God gives you the strength to get through this difficult time. Karsten will always be a part of our lives, and will always be a source of strength for us.

Karsten was always a patient teacher, great listener, and towering intellect with an always curious mind. He guided us while expecting us to find our own way. His friendship through school and since has always been a something I treasured. I don't believe the gulf left by his passing will be bridged within the research community or among those whose life he touched for a very long time.

You never realize the people closest to you are mere mortals until their journey ends and they slip out of sight. Right now I pray for peace in your hearts as you rest in the love and support of the community of family and friends surrounding you, and to celebrate the wonderful memories you shared with your dad and husband. Sending love and hugs.

We're very saddened by Karsten's untimely passing.  We'll miss him - his humor, his human touch, his interest in others. We're thinking of you all and wish you patience and strength.

We are thinking and praying for you all. Hugs and Kisses from Chattanooga. Love,

The Downens/ Kinnamons

I was deeply saddened to hear of Karsten's passing. He has been the pillar and face of high performance computing at Georgia Tech for so many years. His contributions and legacy will be long remembered. Most of all I'll remember the many, many students he advised, mentored, and enabled to go on to successful careers. He was a one-of-a-kind individual and will be long be missed. My deepest condolences to Cheryl and his family.

I will miss Karsten greatly.  He was always a pleasure to talk with and to collaborate with, as one of those with the unique combination of being a great person and a great researcher.  One consolation in facing the tragic news is that we can remember the great legacy he has left on our field, via his students, his research contributions, and his influence on so many of us.

I am extremely saddened by the loss of Karsten, since he became one of my closest friend and collaborator in the past ten years. He truly was one of the smartest and nicest person I have come across, and its difficult for me to express how much I was honored to work so closely with him. He will never be forgotten from my side, and as I told many, I will do anything I can to help from my side at ORNL. I feel so sad I never met his family since we often talked about this. He is truly one of a kind, and will be missed but never forgotten.

I am forever grateful for the patience and kindness he showed me when I was his student at Georgia Tech. I've never seen him be anything but positive in the several years I've had the pleasure of interacting with him. He also demonstrated the importance of working hard and being truthful to yourself and those around you. When I used to work weekends and late nights leading up to a research paper deadline, I would be amazed to see that he would be online responding to my questions and helping me and encouraging me through the stressful time. I cannot put in words how thankful I am for all such moments where he's helped me keep my sanity. 

I will take these lessons and memories of my time with him through the rest of my life.

Dr. Gaimon and family, please accept my deepest condolences for your loss.

I am deeply saddened to learn of your loss.  Karsten was my advisor for six years when I was at Gergia Tech.  Aside from technical guidances, he was also the role model to me in many other ways. He will live in my heart forever.

Dear Cheryl, Phillip and Valerie, I have written, deleted, and rewritten so many words this week, trying to capture how much Karsten meant to me, and how sorry I am for your loss.  I haven't been able to capture even a part of it yet, of how kind and human he was, of how much his joy in you shined through in the years I knew him.  I'll keep trying, but for the moment, the best I can say is that my life will always be demarcated by the time that I knew him, and I am richer for that time we shared.  I am so very sorry for you loss.

Dear Cheryl, Valerie & Phillip,

I'm so sorry for your loss. I remember Karsten as a very concerned, loving father.

I am so sorry for your loss. It is a sad news, I have a fond memory of him. He is such a nice and always welcoming person. Many hugs and prayers for your family.

Remembering Karsten as such a calm and loving father, husband, and person, wearing Birkenstocks and socks. And feeling grateful our families connected so many years ago. So much love to you and your family.

My hear sank to bottom when I first learned this extremely sad news. Karsten, a fine researcher and an incredible human being, played an essential role during my green years as an assistant professor at Georgia Tech in early 2000's. He is an exemplary role model in the community and someone I look up to. I will deeply miss him.

Deeply saddened and will miss my advisor, mentor, teacher and friend.  Regretting the fact that I didn't take the time to meet him often.

The first place I rushed to when I landed at the Atlanta airport was your office. I wish you would open the door and say hello to me as usual. I already miss you. 
Allow me to tell you the final goodbye in my mother tongue. "  ."

Although I didn't have the pleasure of spending as much time with Karsten as some of the Georgia Tech people, I always enjoyed his company and our conversations--that were not only technical but also about his native Germany. Mein tiefes Beileid aus seiner Familie. This is a great and premature loss.

After being his student for more than 7 years it is very hard for me imagine a  life without him. I would consider myself very fortunate to have worked with him. His ideas, his unique way of thinking and applying that to systems research has shaped me in immeasurable ways. Above all, he was a very genuine and kind person, who was immensely dedicated to his students. I will always remember him very fondly.

Karsten was one of the first people I met at Georgia Tech and one who I kept in touch with throughout for his warmth and his advice and counsel. He cherished and championed academics and excellence, and was steadfast in his honesty and integrity. Indeed, he was one of the pillars of CoC. It was painful to see him lose his health in the last years and I am greatly saddened by his passing away. He will be greatly missed.

When I joined Georgia Tech last year, I knew that I wanted to work with Prof Schwan and only after a couple of emails, I was warmly welcomed into the lab and given a project to work on. He was a great advisor, he always supported me and motivated me to do better. He would give direction to my work if I felt lost and was always very kind and caring. He will be deeply missed.

Dear Cheryl, Valerie, Phillip,
 There are no words that could console you in these sad moments, but I still I hope there is some comfort to hear/read the high regard in which so many have held Karsten. For me, he was much more than my adviser - a father figure unconditionally by my side, a friend whose door was always open, a model to aspire to - and the world, my world will be poorer without him around.

I am so fortunate to have worked with and learned from Karsten. His principles were unwavering  about excellence, integrity, collegiality, and putting family first. Cheryl, Valerie and Phillip, you knew, and you will hear a lot more about the impact, passion and commitment he had for his work, research and students, but those of us close to him, know all of that is a far second to his love and commitment to you. I will be forever grateful for the lessons and opportunities Karsten provided me with, and the memories and his principles will always be part of me. Rest in peace, my dearest colleague, mentor, and friend.

Karsten was a remarkable man and will be greatly missed. Words truly cannot express my sorrow, though I take great comfort and pride for having had the opportunity to work for him for many years.

It is difficult to accept that Karsten is no more. I was one of Karsten's students for more than six years. As I write, recollections of our weekly meetings come flooding back. His door would usually be slightly ajar, and Karsten would greet you with a beaming smile as you walked in. As you settled into a chair and made room for yourself on the slightly messy table, Karsten would finish a last email, snap his laptop shut and ask you how you were doing. The meetings invariably started this way. 

As an advisor, Karsten not only gave strong technical input to your work, but through his broad professional network, was able to connect you to other students or researchers who could help in different ways.

I will remember Karsten most for his kindness and utterly selfless fondness for his students, and will miss him.

Dear Cheryl, we were saddened to hear about Karsten a couple of days ago and have been thinking of you since. It was wonderful to host you and Karsten in the Canadian Rockies last year and get to know him better. Seeing both of you again last December was just a reminder. He was a very special guy.
Vicki Mitchell and Barrie Nault

I spent nine years working a few doors down from Karsten on the faculty at Georgia Tech. We did not work on any projects together, but we had many discussions over the years.

Karsten was a man of principle. I deeply respected his steadfastness and candidness on any and every topic. He was a strong pillar in Georgia Tech's College of Computing. Above all, he was an extremely good person who was always true to his values.

Thank you, Karsten, for many great years.

Karsten was truly an amazing researcher, professor and above all a great human being. Every PhD student in the systems area at Georgia Tech has been positively influenced by his research, teaching and guidance. A great loss to the computing systems community. Please accept my deepest condolences.

Dear Professor Gaimon and Family,

Karsten was an exceptional advisor and role model. His integrity, patience, and wit have made an everlasting impression on me. 

Many times I entered our weekly meeting feeling down about progress and results, but somehow, he sensed it and always found a way to emphasize the positives, even when the situation seemed dismal. 

I am honored to have known him for the last 5 years and am grateful for all he has taught me. I will miss him deeply.

Dear Cheryl, Valerie and Philip, we were so saddened to hear of Karsten passing away. We had the pleasure of meeting Karsten for the first time last year for the wedding. We were able to totally relax around him due to his humility, thoughtfulness and easy going nature-we could see that he was a great dad and husband and had a good relationship with Luke which was very comforting for us.
Looking at the photos of Karsten over the years brings back a lot of fond memories for all of us of his age-good times when being a young dad was challenging but fun and a priority.
We are sorry that we cannot be at the service today but please know that he will be missed without doubt and has left for the other side before us but his presence will live on  long after he has gone and that legacy is what matters most for all of us.

Terry and Sue Ringland

Cheryl, Valerie and Phillip -
What a wonderful man Karsten was and is - as has been your friendship in our neighborhood for the last 27+ yrs.  Cheryl, you and Karsten have led extraordinary careers at Georgia Tech which have no doubt, in concert with great parenting, inspired your children to become accomplished themselves in addition to all those many students you have mentored and influenced through the decades.   
We will miss seeing Karsten's long stride as you walked our quiet streets together, his careful attention to your always pretty and colorful lawn, and his cheerful smile.  Looking at these posted photos, it's abundantly clear the joy of life you all shared with him - it's those many glorious memories that we pray will sustain and comfort you through this period of sadness.

Karsten was a great colleague. Unfortunately we did not interact much, but I always enjoyed seeing him around. I will miss him. Please accept my deepest condolences.

Cheryl, There are no words that will make this better, but I want you to know that I'm here and I care about you.

Thoughts and prayers.  Denise and Russ Knight

Dear Cheryl,

Words cannot express my deepest sorrow at losing Karsten. This is very sad and shocking and I just cannot believe this. Please accept my heartfelt condolences to you and your family. 

I had many fond memories with Karsten. I still remember how Karsten helped my doctoral student who was doing his dissertation on cloud computing, a topic I knew nothing. We sat down with Karsten and he patiently educated us and answered important technical questions. I also learned a lot and enjoyed his panel discussion at a conference on cloud computing. He is always so kind, nice and generous in helping others.   

I know your heartbroken feeling of losing your dearest, and I hope you will take care of yourself through this most difficult time. 

Kasten and your family are in our prayers.

I felt a great sadness today when I heard the news about Karsten.  As a student in the systems group, I got a lot of chance to interact with him.  His energy and smile will always be remembered.

Dear Cheryl, Valerie and Philip, please accept our condolences. In Karsten, I not only found a PhD adviser but a true teacher in life, who never hesitated to guide me whenever I sought his help. There are very few genuinely good people on the planet, people who touch so many lives, people who see good in everyone, people whose departure brings tears to everyone who knows them and I am so proud to have been associated with one. I can think of so many good memories from the time at Georgia Tech and cannot thank him enough for gifting us this life we are enjoying every day. He could be so mindful of technical details and yet so absent minded at the same time. I am so sad to have lost such a good man with such amazingly positive perspective on life. I think I will never stop to hear his infectious laughter, the red face when joking, the invaluable life lessons, and above all, the great person Karsten is.

Cheryl, Valerie, and Phillip, 

I wish I could be there tonight to help honor Karsten's life. He and Cheryl were such a big part of my life in grad school that I feel that a part of me has died.  I cry to think of the grief you must be feeling because even I feel lost.  Karsten will live on in my heart, and there he will be a young guy with gorgeous blond hair who loved my best friend.

Karsten was a supportive and thoughtful advisor who really took time to work with me. His attitude towards research and life was really unmatched, humble and honest, and there was always so much positivity with everyone. Struggling with even small bugs, he would share in that frustration and support you because he really cared about all of us. He was our source of encouragement and really treated us as equals.

I have so many fond memories. Connecting with him was easier when I learned he shared my humor of small cynicisms about life, bureaucracy and politics, and research ideas (of our competitors). He once told me he gave up looking for decent breads since coming to the US.

Karsten, we all miss you so much.

Cheryl and family, I'm sorry for your loss.

An der Familie, herzliches Beileid, und vor allem viel Kraft.

Karsten has been my advisor for the past 7 years (Masters, and then PhD). For the last several years, my weekly meeting with him was at 12pm Tuesday, and I looked forward for it always. Irrespective of how bad the week was in terms of research progress, he made each of his students feel better about what they are pursuing, and with pragmatic suggestions to move forward. After each meeting, I came out of the meeting with renewed self belief and confidence. His perspective on problems, converting them from a hurdle to a positive challenge has been a great motivation, and will continue to motivate us in years to come by. His energy and dedication towards research and welfare of students is a lesson for all of us. We will deeply miss Karsten.

I have known Karsten and worked with him for over 20 years. Every time I met him, I fully enjoyed interaction. He was one of the most apolitical persons in a very positive sense, always focused on outcomes. At the same time, he was a very caring person, growing a number of students and colleagues. He never cared about his own recognition and always recognized others. I feel that I am better man from only knowing Karsten and much better technologist from all  interactions I have had with him and learned from him. He will be very much missed as a professor and as a kind and gentle human being.

Dear Cheryl, Valerie, Philip,

Please accept our condolences. Baerbel an I were shocked and deeply saddened,  when we learned about Karsten's passing.
Karsten an I met each other in Kiel, Northern Germany, 1972.
We both had just finished our School education and started to study mathematics.
The following 3 years we worked together, we lived together, we travelled together, talked and discussed together about a lot of subjects, which young people are interested in.
1975 Karsten changed to Pittsburgh. He intended to stay in the US for one year
he never returned to Germany.
When he  went away, we had become good friends, but it took more than 25 years  to meet us again.
When we came together, in Atlanta, in Germany, we always had good time together!
I will miss Karsten very sadly, My hope to meet him some times more, hast gone!

We will never forget him. Karsten remains in our hearts.

Baerbel Kleim-Wegner
Kuddel Wegner

Dear Cheryl and Family,
I consider myself lucky that Karsten took me under his wing as one of his first PhD students. I was a bit lost in graduate school and Karsten set me on a solid path that I continue to this day. Even 27 years after graduating, I still fondly refer to him as my advisor.  I will miss his sage advice, his insights, and his friendship. Thank you for sharing him with us. My deepest condolences.

This is a sad day.  I knew him as "Cheryl's husband because I would see him most often when he came to the Management building to meet up with his wife.  He had such a happy spirit and friendly way of engaging people.  His scholarly achievements are astounding and his students many.  I know that his wife and  children will miss him deeply.

I dint believe it when I first heard. He was our Masters project adviser, and we interacted with him on a weekly basis less than a year ago. He was so passionate about research and always willing to help.  I was always surprised at approachable and kind he was, despite being a well known researcher and CERCS head. I am very fortunate to have been instructed and supervised by him. May he rest in peace!

Dear Cheryl, Valerie and Philip, 

My sadness knows no bounds, as does the laughter and joy whenever I think of him. 

God bless and keep you all.

My deepest condolences on your loss. 
Karsten, was a friend, colleague, mentor, and inspiration. His presence will be so dearly missed, but his influence will be timeless, through his students and colleagues whom he inspired in so many ways.

I have known Karsten in professional settings for almost 20 years. I always admired his enthusiasm, energy, charm, and wit, and looked forward to each time I would get a chance to see him (whether at a conference or NSF). I'll miss him.

I had not been aware of his illness, and the news of his death came as a shock to me, and deeply saddened me. Even though we had lost touch in recent years, I have warm memories of him from working with him as a colleague at OSU.  My heartfelt condolences to his wife and children. 
-- Chandra

Fond memories are what we have to remember Karsten. May the love of family and friends comfort you during these difficult days, my most heartfelt condolences. He was truly a great Person and he will be missed!! 
Lometa Mitchell (GA Tech College of Computing)

Dr. Schwan was my PhD dissertation committee member. He always supported my unconventional  ideas and inspired me to chisel my ideas into useful innovations. He was someone, I always looked up to for guidance. A great academic and a truly great professor. He will be missed. May his soul rest in peace.

Dear Cheryl,

It was such a shock to hear about Karsten passing away - I'm still in disbelief!  I've known Karsten since I joined the OM doctoral program at Ohio State - he was such a great person - I always enjoyed talking and interacting with him.  He was an inspiration to so many students, and such a great human being - I will definitely miss him!  My deepest condolences for your great loss - I hope time will gradually blunt the pain of this loss!

Sincerely,
Soumen Ghosh

I am so sorry to that Karsten is not here with us.  My respect and admiration will live on forever. I will be praying for you and your family as you adjust. I can't offer any words that will reduce the pain and loss but know that my ear and shoulder are here if you need them.  
Sincerely,
T'Ronda

Karsten will continue to be an inspiration --- to work hard and have high personal standards. Thank you.

Dear Cheryl and family,

Please accept our condolences. I was one of Karsten's first batch of PhD students back in the '80s.  I remember his energy, enthusiasm, curiosity, ethics, and above all, his sense of humor.  Sometimes we would be in a vigorous exchange of ideas and he would just crack me up with some offhand comment. He was a great mentor. I will miss him.

Dear Cheryl, the family, and fellows of the "great family of Karsten": 

My sadness after knowing this is beyond what words could say. 
How I wished I could speak with Karsten longer while as his Ph.D. student in Atlanta. How I wished I could have these meetings/dinners with Karsten longer while I am in the bay area. How I wished I could have called him more while he was sick... 

As one of his 70+ Ph.D. students, I have to say, we are the great family of Prof. Karsten Schwan, the great educator who has not only educated academically but also influenced the lives of many people greatly. Like for me, I had to share my story of Karsten with my family, and will have to pass the story to my son when he understands and learns to be a good man. So, while being extremely sad, there is at least the light before me which says, we have to remember why Karsten has been such a great person to so many of us, try to embody these values in ourselves, and pass these values to our beloved families and friends, so that Karsten's effort throughout his life will keep shining through us, so that if Karsten knows, he will be delighted by one, some, or all of us. 

RIP Karsten, we will miss you forever. 
May god bless Cheryl, the family, and the great family of Karsten.

Karsten was a wonderful teacher. Not too many people could have made "Advanced Operating Systems" into a page turner, but he did - it was one of the most challenging, interesting, and satisfying classes that I took at Georgia Tech. He was a good man, and we will miss him.

Karsten was an amazing human being.  I worked with him on a number of projects, and remember both his technical insight as well as his kind nature.  He was always ready to give good advice to a student, or to connect people together (how often he said "Do you know x from Intel?", and I ended up meeting colleagues throughout the company by way of this guy in Atlanta!).  

Among all his industrial collaboration, we also benefited from hiring his great students.  Indeed, we used to joke that we had so many of his advisees in the Intel Labs that he could send one txt and they would rise up and stage a (hopefully!) bloodless coup of the research labs or even Intel overall. =)

Perhaps the best indicator of Karsten professionally is not his publications, not his grant awards, not his committee work, but rather the astonishing number of super-high-caliber academic progeny he begat.  And from his interactions with them later in life (thinking of some long dinners in Portland or Atlanta), it was clear that his ex-advisees, one and all, liked, respected, and even revered him.  THAT is testimony to his ability, his character, his service, and his very nature.

Computer Science as a field is, without doubt, greatly greatly impoverished by the loss of Karsten. :(  I will miss him too.

I knew Karsten only briefly while I was at Tech.  He was a very gentle, warm man.  I'm certain that he'll be very much so missed.

Karsten was an amazing colleague and it's very hard to imagine the department without him. He will be greatly missed.

Karsten has changed many lives. He has been a friend and benefactor for me, and many more around him. He has achieved many things, written many papers, given many talks, served many duties, won many prizes, and graduated many students. Through all and above all, he remained faithful to himself. Beyond academic excellence, he believed in sincerity, honesty, decency, and ultimately, the goodness in human nature. He also embodied these values himself. We will remember him for his strong and positive impact on our lives, his steadfast values that influenced us for better, and his exemplary life that will continue to inspire us forever.

Karsten had a deeply profound influence on me as my Ph.D. advisor, as a mentor and collaborator after I graduated, and simply as the wonderful, enthusiastic, and gracious person he was. I am truly fortunate and grateful to have known him and been able to work with him. My sincere condolences to his family and friends.

So sorry to hear that. Professor Karsten was a great mentor and a wonderful person. Grace and Peace to his family. Thoughts and prayers..

Karsten taught me many things during my PhD. He taught me that research wasn't interesting if the results didn't introduce more questions. He taught me to follow through on my research and aim high in my career. But the thing that stuck with me the most was that he encouraged me to find a way to do the work I wanted to do. I know he did. 

Not only did he advise and guide his students, we learned from him how to advise our own. Karsten's academic family extends to children and grandchildren, and even great grandchildren by now. He may not have met or even have know them all, but we are all so saddened at his loss.

Prof. Schwan, you were a kind and caring man, you were a fighter, and you were strong. You taught a lot of people many good things. We will carry on many legacies that you have bestowed on us. To Cheryl and family, my deepest condolences, gratitude, prayers, and best wishes for the future.

To me, Prof. Schwan embodied kindness, and the amount of trust he would place on his students is simply unmatched. I'm very grateful to have been advised & mentored by him, and as days go by I realize more and more how much he has taught me -- professionally and personally -- simply by being himself. I feel very grateful to have learnt from him, and I offer my prayers to his family & friends to cope with this huge loss.

I feel fortunate to have had Karsten as a member of my Ph.D. committee. I am deeply grateful for the profound influence he has had on me as a researcher and educator. His willingness to eagerly share his enormous technical expertise and give meticulous advice played a major role in making the College of Computing a special place that it is. I express my deepest condolences to his family.

Karsten has been an inspirational mentor in my PhD study. Not only did he provide invaluable suggestions on my research work, he also offered indispensable leadership in founding CERCS, a great institute for our system research and helped maintain a strong connection with the industry. Karsten has also provided continuous guidance and help on my early career development, to which I'm eternally grateful.

My heart goes to his family and friends. We will always miss you, Karsten.

a genius par excellence. passionate about system and architecture. will be forever in our hearts.

I was so lucky to have been assigned an office with Karsten when I arrived at CMU in 1977. He became a mentor and lifelong friend for almost 40 years.

Though his example, I saw how to be a graduate student, how to be a member of a research group, how to negotiate the transition to being a faculty member, how to lead a research group, how to be a parent, how to balance life and work (something he always did better than I), how to be a partner in marriage to another highly-successful academic, and how to attain equanimity.

He accomplished many important things in life and work and mentored many, many people. Though he had high standards and a prodigious work ethic, he remained grounded and optimistic, enthusiastic and joyful.

I will remember him as he was whenever I was with him: with a calm smile and an open heart.

Dear Cheryl and family,

Please accept our condolences.  Jane and I were shocked and deeply saddened to learn of Karsten's passing.  I met Karsten 40 years ago during our grad school days at CMU.  What a fantastic person!  His intellect and infectiously positive outlook on life had an impact on so many people here in Columbus: colleagues, students, friends from all walks of life.  I'm sure you're not surprised to know how much he will be missed and how fondly remembered by his long-time friends here and everywhere.

Dear Cheryl, 

Our deepest condolences go out to you and your family. Karsten was a great person and superiorly nice gentleman. We will surely miss him.

Wenli and Dajun

Karsten was a deeply respected and valued member of the international research community in parallel systems.  My heart goes out to his family and friends.  He will be sorely missed.

I am so saddened to hear this news since I corresponded with him early this month. Prof. Schwan was so amenable as a senior professor and brilliant researcher in the field. I was very fortunate to have had the opportunities attending his CERSC meetings while I was at Auburn University. His genuine smile and salient advices have been a great treasure for me. Prof. Schwan: I will miss our meetings and interactions.

I was so sorry to learn of Karsten's passing.  He was a wonderful researcher, a friend to everyone who knew him, and a genuinely nice person who never hesitated to help wherever he could have a positive impact.  My deepest condolences to the family.

My condolences to Cheryl and family in this difficult time. Karsten was a great advisor and friend, and he helped me more in my career than anyone else. His legacy will live on through his contributions to research and education. I am proud to be one of his many graduates.

OBITUARY

Karsten Schwan

August 21, 1952 – September 28, 2015

H.M. Patterson & Son-Oglethorpe Hill Chapel

Show your support

Add a Memory

Share Obituary

Get Reminders

Services