The publication is reproduced in full below:
TRIBUTE TO HONOR THE LIFE OF CHARLES GESCHKE
______
HON. ANNA G. ESHOO
of california
in the house of representatives
Monday, April 26, 2021
Ms. ESHOO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Charles Geschke, known to all as Chuck, a pioneer and a giant in Silicon Valley, who died on April 16, 2021, at the age of 81, at his home in Los Altos, California. He was born on September 11, 1939, and grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, where his father was a photoengraver and his mother a paralegal.
Chuck was a deeply faith-filled man who once considered entering the Catholic priesthood. He attended a Jesuit high school and studied liberal arts at Xavier University in Cincinnati. He earned a master's degree in mathematics there and later earned a Ph.D. in computer science at Carnegie Mellon. He worked as a math professor, then at the Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency. He was hired by Xerox to work at its Palo Alto Research Center where he met John Warnock, Ph.D., and they joined together in leaving Xerox to found what is now Adobe Inc.
Chuck created a highly successful and important company, one of Silicon Valley's greatest, that enabled desktop publishing which has had worldwide impact. The New York Times, (4/20/2021) opened its obituary of him by asking,
``If you sent a PDF on your computer today, thank him. In 1980, he and a colleague created a way of sending digital documents to a printer, starting a company, Adobe.'' In the same piece, the Times quoted him as saying this regarding his immense success; ``Engineers dream of building something that millions of people will use; that's their ultimate goal.
I don't think many engineers are motivated by money. They're motivated by having an impact.''
Chuck was a gentle person with a self-deprecating sense of humor and was unrelentingly generous. With his wife Nan, they donated millions to non-profits and universities. He was a fair-minded boss and with Dr. Warnock, employed the ``golden rule'' in the treatment of employees. He was a man of great faith and a model for corporate leaders to emulate.
He received numerous well-deserved awards, including the National Medal of Technology and Innovation Award in 2009, with Dr. Warnock, and served on many foundation boards. He was proud of what he created in business, but his family was his greatest treasure.
I had the privilege of knowing Chuck for decades and shared an enduring friendship with him. I sought his wise counsel and practical advice, always learning from him and appreciating his depth of knowledge and integrity.
Madam Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in extending our condolences to Chuck Geschke's wife Nan, his sons Peter and John, his daughter Kathy Orciuoli, and his seven beloved grandchildren. We are a better, stronger nation because of this great and good man.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 71
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