So shcoked to hear about his new! Our team meet Erik this Mar. for a product testing, we are very impressive and thankful to his professionalism and support during debugging. We would like to express our sincere condolences and our thought will be with you during this time.

Shocked to hear this news and so sorry for your loss! I remember the long passionate discussions we have had on hardware for the ECS product lines as well as the great sense of humor he approached tough situations with. He will be missed! My heartfelt condolences.

I met Erik at EMC and  he”s someone I quickly came to respect and trust, I’m grateful to have made the acquaintance and  stayed in touch. Sincere condolences to Erik’s family & loved ones.

My deep condolences to all of you. I worked for Erik when was SVP of Engineering at Sesame. I worked with him every day. He was a wonderful human being, who would never let me get away with a comment that he felt was immoral or wrong headed. We'd have some great debates from time to time (that he usually won.. dammit) 

His mind was always racing all over the place and getting his attention at times took a lot of patience. :D I would recall fondly, how I would have to do an "Erik!" to get his attention, I was never sure if he saw an email or was going to attend a meeting - haha. 

He always entertained me with all these stories of the things he saw, his bits of his family life, and what not.

I was heartbroken when we had to dissolve Sesame, it is still the best job I have ever had. I had always garnered hope that we would one day reform again. 

I shed a few tears when I heard the news. I mourn him, and will not forget him. The open source conferences won't be the same. 

To his family, I can't imagine how devastating this has been for all of you. He is irreplaceable. I hope that you all well heal and continue to share your favorite dad stories or husband stories when you all get together for years to come. 

Good bye, my friend. 🥹

I'm really sad to hear this. I looked up to Erik while I was at CMU. I'm so sorry for Cheryl and his family.

Erik was brilliant and unrelenting in his contributions to the world of open source and technology.  A huge champion of diversity and inclusion, he fought hard to make room for others with less privilege than him.  And when I visited Boston a few years ago, Erik took time to take me to his favorite museum and bring his wonderful kids with him.  I will miss seeing him at open source events and collaborating with him on talks and programs.  Many of us will miss him dearly and send our thoughts and prayers to his family.

I don't even remember how Erik and I first got acquainted. What I do remember are our conversations over the years, the smiles and laughs we had when we connected at conferences, and his willingness to always lend a hand and help a friend and colleague.

His loss has left a huge hole in our industry, as I'm sure it has with his family. Hugs and sending strength to you Cheryl, the kids, and your family during this time of loss.

Our lives were so enriched by Erik’s presence when working with him, the room would light up and everyone would be in a better mood for the rest of the day. We will miss him dearly.

I'm so sorry for your loss. I had the pleasure to work closely with Erik at EMC  Corporation and the Storage Networking Industry Association. He always smiled and had a knack for explaining the most complex technical tasks in a simple, understandable way. 

May Erik's memory be eternal.

From the time at Atmos to the ECS product era, we were colleagues and friends. Although we didn't have many opportunities to work directly together for a long time, I always remembered Erik's humorous conversation style. When we had the chance to collaborate again, I was even more impressed by his professional skills and his passion for life, He always spoke with great pride about his four lovely daughters.
When I heard this sad news from former colleagues, I was shocked and speechless. I hope his family finds peace and comfort during this difficult time.
A Friend of Erik in China

I will never find the words to express how sad this news makes me so instead I will share a picture from 2010 with this beautiful and extraordinary family wearing shirts given to Erik as the recipient of our PDL Distinguished Alum. The fact that we gave Erik a "family" gift instead of an individual gift was because he for sure loved his family far greater than he loved himself. His obituary (and I find it nearly impossible that I am even typing those words) so beautifully and accurately captured the essence of Erik. I think of a statement made by a young man on the 10th anniversary of having lost both parents . . . "The pain of losing them will never catch up to the joy of having them.” The world became a bit more dim on June 30. Praying God will give you all the peace that passes all understanding some how, some way, some day.

Erik’s friends at ITRenew/Iron Mountain in Olathe will certainly miss the caring, friendly, brilliant person who helped, energized and challenged us.  Our thoughts and prayers are with your family.

OBITUARY

Erik Riedel

July 27, 1971 – June 30, 2024

Richardson-Gaffey Funeral Home

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