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Chuck Gracey, RIP — Parallax Forums

Chuck Gracey, RIP

Tracy AllenTracy Allen Posts: 6,664
in General Discussion
I'm super sad to hear the announcement of Chuck's passing. He was a wonderful man, father to Chip and Ken. My condolences go out to them, and to Linda, and to the grandchildren and extended family. I feel that we all here are truly part of his extended family. I remember you well. Thanks Chuck for everything.

Comments

  • DaveJensonDaveJenson Posts: 375
    Ditto what Tracey said....
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2018-06-14 03:20
    This is really sad news. I met Chuck a couple times at Parallax. He had a very active and fertile mind and was a great conversationalist who could hold forth on almost any subject. (It was he who championed development of the Propeller Backpack, BTW.) The pride he showed in his two sons and their accomplishments was writ large. My condolences go out to Linda, Chip, Ken, and their extended families, including the Parallax family. Chuck will surely be missed, but his legacy lives on in his sons, in Parallax, and in the wonderful people who work there.

    -Phil
  • GordonMcCombGordonMcComb Posts: 3,366
    I'm saddened to read this. I never met Mr. Gracey (so I won't be familiar and call him Chuck) but by observation alone I admire him for the family he helped to raise. The Gracey boys turned out pretty good, I think.
  • pjvpjv Posts: 1,903
    I had the pleasure of meeting Mr Gracey on several occasions, and can truly say he was a person who inspired people.

    He will be dearly missed by his immediate and extended family, as well as those who knew him.

    Respectfully,

    Peter Van der Zee (pjv)
  • WBA ConsultingWBA Consulting Posts: 2,934
    Wow, sad to hear and my condolences to the Gracey family. I met Chuck a few times while I was at Parallax visiting Ken, Matt Gilliland, or Kevin Cook. Wonderful guy and deserved every bit of respect that was shown to him by everyone.
  • David BetzDavid Betz Posts: 14,516
    I met Chuck once or twice. He seemed like a very nice and smart man as are his sons. I'm sure he will be missed.
  • Mike GreenMike Green Posts: 23,101
    Condolences to the Gracey family. I had the pleasure of meeting Chuck Gracey some years ago when I visited Parallax. What a nice man.
  • Beau SchwabeBeau Schwabe Posts: 6,566
    Sad to hear this news for sure. Chuck was always sending me emails while I worked at Parallax with some of his wild ideas, even though a couple of times I think he was instructed not to disturb me from work. One of his ideas he was really interested in was the concept of a re-usable fire cracker made with programmable LED's. I think it might have worked, but my main concern I told him was that I didn't think it would be bright enough to compete with the real thing. Basically you launch it, it would do it's thing, and parachute down to the ground .... kinda like a model rocket, equipped with a GPS locator or beacon. The Winter Olympics did it the way I think Chuck would have wanted it though, using the drones. With 4th of July approaching, I might just have to light a special fire cracker just for Chuck. Rest In Peace my friend.

  • mparkmpark Posts: 1,305
    My wife and I had the pleasure of meeting Chuck at an UPEW. We are very sad to hear of his passing. Our sympathies to his family. May they find some small comfort in knowing that their sorrow is shared by so many.
  • idbruceidbruce Posts: 6,197
    Losing a father is one of the greatest losses that a person can experience. I know the pain all too well, as I am sure that there are many others here that also have experienced such a great loss. Chip and Ken, my heart goes out to you.
  • Tracy AllenTracy Allen Posts: 6,664
    Chuck really did enjoy the expos and get togethers, hanging in the background, but totally committed to the company's success. His forum handle was CHIPKEN, and that says a lot about him as Chief Father Officer. Here's an early post of his just after the Propeller came out...
    effect-on-power-consumption-in-control-applications

    He and I hit it off, as he was a chemical engineer, and we had a mutual interest in sensors, also data logging and control systems, and interest in where engineering is headed. He was very much involved in the development of the SX Basic Stamps, both hardware and firmware, more so than people know. He treated me to samples, like a prototype BS2sx built on a green BS2 board, and an SX+ prototype built with a 20-pin fine-pitch header on top to bring out the 16 additional pins of an SX48 chip. That evolved into the BS2p-40. And the BS2pe, that was my favorite, and we had good conversations about what was needed for low power consumption and data logging.

    I'm sad now that we didn't keep in touch over the past couple of years. It's a reminder, hang on to your friends.
  • Keith YoungKeith Young Posts: 569
    Very sorry to hear about this. Wishing Ken and Chip and family the best.
  • potatoheadpotatohead Posts: 10,261
    Sad day. I never did meet Mr Gracey, but I am confident I would have appreciated him.

    Raised fine men. Nice work Mr Gracey. Travel well, happy. You earned it.
  • Martin_HMartin_H Posts: 4,051
    Mt condolences to the Gracey family.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,256
    Very sad to hear this. Losing your father is so difficult. As others have said, Chuck lives on through Chip and Ken and their excellent works. Condolences and prayers for the families.
  • dgatelydgately Posts: 1,630
    The few times that I attended events in Rocklin, Chuck was on-hand and it was a pleasure seeing him taking so much interest and providing so much support to Ken, Chip and Parallax. What an honor to have witnessed Parallax as a true "family" business, with such an inspiring father figure. Cheers!
  • davejamesdavejames Posts: 4,047
    Losing a father? No words express the hole in the chest.

    My heartfelt condolences to the Gracey's.
  • Buck RogersBuck Rogers Posts: 2,185
    Me too. And I offer mine as well.

    Especially since mine actually saw me perusing the original site as I was contemplating a purchase, in this case the original project boxes. Now when I look at that page I think of that scene.

    Ken, Chip do us, and myself, a favor, plant a tree outside your firm in the memory of your amazing parent.
  • Jeff HaasJeff Haas Posts: 421
    My condolences as well. I am glad he got to see what his sons built.
  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,392
    Buck Rogers wrote: »
    Ken, Chip do us, and myself, a favor, plant a tree outside your firm in the memory of your amazing parent.

    Thanks Buck - we'll make this happen. He was really into fruit trees at his home in Sacramento, so this is a very appropriate suggestion. He planted a cherry tree about six years ago and only last year did it produce any fruit. Strangely, this year it went totally wild and produced enough crop for Chip's batch of kids (that's a lot of fruit, just trust me!).

    We appreciate reading about Chuck and everybody's thoughts about him. He contributed significantly to Parallax: leveraging his home for a credit line (and helping arrange the final Propeller 2 funds); serving on the Board of Directors; doing some product design like Tracy mentioned above; and being a tremendous cheerleader for every single person on our Parallax team. This last point is really important - he treated everyone equally, bringing flowers, chocolate, ideas, talk and simple friendship. For this reason we've been able to keep most all of our staff for up to 20+ yrs during the tremendous swings of our business.

    We'll get a couple of cherry trees and ask the landscape guys to dig them in with some imported soil (Rocklin is known for clay-based, cruddy rocky soil).

    Ken Gracey


  • cgraceycgracey Posts: 14,152
    Ken, better get a few kumquat trees, too. He had an affinity for those. He planted one when I was born and then he had one at his new house. They look pretty and hold onto their fruit.
  • RaymanRayman Posts: 14,646
    Very sorry to hear about this... I also met him at a Propeller Expo at Parallax and seemed like a great guy.
  • YanomaniYanomani Posts: 1,524
    I never had the oportunity of meeting Mr. Gracey, but, from what I was able to deduct since my early conversations with Chip and Ken, more than a father, he was someone you could ever talk to; the one you could ever trust and depend on. Within any family, this is the most invaluable asset one could share.

    So, let the spirit of this confidence and the testimony of the commitment with which he dedicated himself to the two families he so inspired, to his own and to the Parallax team, be the force that will keep you all as a unity, pursuing the goals he taught to value.

    My heartfelt condolences to the whole Gracey family.
  • ozpropdevozpropdev Posts: 2,792
    Condolences to Chip, Ken and the Gracey family.
  • JRetSapDoogJRetSapDoog Posts: 954
    Sounds like he had a really great run and finished the race. And now he lives on in the lives of the people he touched, trees he planted, example he set, and dreams underway through his sons. Condolences and congratulations. Lost my dad at 19 and in some ways never really came to understand him during The Living Years, but I do now in part as I have come to realize that many hopes and dreams won't come true, making it easier for me to understand my father's seemingly short temper or lack of patience. My dad had an inventive spirit but never really had the opportunities to pursue it, as it was hard just keeping his head above water paying the mortgage on $90 bucks a week. But I think his inventive spirit lives on in me. And it sounds like Chuck Gracey's spirit--inventive and otherwise--very much lives on in his sons and those he knew.
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