[TriEmbed] Fwd.: Don Lancaster has passed away

[John Wettroth]

One of my childhood/teen heroes.  I have a bunch of his books.  My CMOS cookbook is super dogeared and falling apart and I think this is my second copy since I was a kid!  I even have the RTL Cookbook somewhere around here!  I loved his Hardware Hacker column in R-E in the 80’s.  He used to imagine this thing he called “The Navicube”- a little box that just knows where it is in 3 dimensions accurately.  This caught my imagination, I played with a lot of compass and inertial nav stuff before it was easy,  I guess this is the modern GPS.    He wrote a little book about creating a small hacker/craft business called “The Incredible Secret Money Machine” that I read much later- lots of good advice.  Rest in peace, nice writing style and taught me a lot.
 
Regards,
John M. Wettroth
E: jwet at mindspring.com
M: (919) 349-9875 
H:  (984) 329-5420
 
From: TriEmbed <triembed-bounces at triembed.org> On Behalf Of Rodney Radford via TriEmbed
Sent: Friday, June 30, 2023 11:35 PM
To: TriEmbed Discussion <triembed at triembed.org>
Subject: [TriEmbed] Fwd: Don Lancaster has passed away
 
 
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From: 'Roy Bragg' via S100Computers <s100computers at googlegroups.com <mailto:s100computers at googlegroups.com> >
Date: Fri, Jun 30, 2023 at 5:29 PM
Subject: Don Lancaster has passed away
To: S100Computers <s100computers at googlegroups.com <mailto:s100computers at googlegroups.com> >
 
Don Lancaster, a highly-revered figure in the microcomputer industry for the past six decades, peacefully passed away at age 83 on June 7, 2023, in Mesa, Arizona. Don’s contributions to the world of microcomputers were exceptional by any measure. 
Probably his most notable early achievement was the creation of the “TV Typewriter,” a revolutionary device that utilized transistor-transistor logic (TTL) to display text on a TV screen. The TV Typewriter first appeared in the September 1973 issue of Radio Electronics.  This creation became the basis and the title for one of his earliest published books. The prototype of this groundbreaking precursor to the modern computer keyboard is showcased at the Computer History Museum.  Don also holds a patent for one of the original Apple parts he developed as well as having had a hand in the design and manufacture of the Apple I keyboard, he was widely recognized as a pioneer in the technology field.
His dedication to the computing and electronics industry was evident in his extensive body of work. Don authored well over 2,200 technical papers and 44 books covering a wide-range of topics related to computers and electronics, firmly solidifying his reputation as an extremely knowledgeable and prolific writer. His insightful contributions could also be found in the pages of leading electronics magazines of the 1960s through to the 2000s.   His first article appeared in the April 1963 issue of Electronics World.  He also was the author behind the wildly popular Hardware Hacker series in Radio-Electronics Magazine from January 1988 until June 1995. 
As an instructor at Eastern Arizona College, Don embraced his role as a teacher and mentor, imparting his extensive expertise in electronic microprocessing to students. Don’s commitment to knowledge dissemination extended beyond traditional channels. As the owner and operator of Synergetics and Synergetic Publishing, Don and his wife produced educational videos and actively engaged with his audience as a blogger – sharing his insights and fostering a sense of community. One of his notable accomplishments was the creation of his website, Guru’s Lair Resources (www.tinaja.com <http://www.tinaja.com> ), which served as a comprehensive repository of computer-related information. Visitors to the site could also access his seemingly endless personal research on the fascinating hanging canals of the Pinaleño Mountains, explore his extensive book collection, and discover details about numerous Gila Valley Day Hikes – a topic close to his heart.
Don received an Electrical Engineering degree at Lafayette College in Pennsylvania before earning a Master’s degree in Engineering from Arizona State University while working at Goodyear Aerospace Corp. Don’s intellectual curiosity even led him to nearly complete a second Master’s degree in Archaeology at ASU, highlighting his diverse interests.
Don’s contributions to the Apple community extended beyond his technical accomplishments. Among his 44 books are the Apple II-centric Assembly Language Cookbook volumes, as well as AppleWriter-in-Depth, released in 1984 by A.P.P.L.E. These and other contributions over the years to the community will be forever cherished.
Left to honor Don’s memory are his beloved wife and daughter, cherished grandchildren, and his sister and brother. Their loss is shared by the microcomputer industry and the community that esteemed Don for his extensive expertise, informative writings, unwavering passion, and dedication to the industry.
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