July 3, 2021 – We are terribly saddened to announce the passing of our beloved Chief Engineer, Ron Denny on June 3, 2021. Ron joined Data Vortex Technologies in 2007 after retiring from General Dynamics. Coke often compared his relationship with Ron to that of Bill Tutte and Tommy Flowers, the mathematician and engineer who built the world’s first electronic computer in 1943 (“Colossos”). Beyond his brilliance as a computer architect, Ron brought on a significant portion of the Data Vortex team including Jerry Cawley, Pat Huber, Jay Rockstroh, Bill McBee, Terry Donnelly, and Dave Thersleff. He was a dear friend to everyone in the company and many investors. Our heart goes out to his wife Nancy, his son Ron, his daughter Lori, and his grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked you send checks to the “Ron Denny Memorial” (10019 Northwood Lane, Brooklyn Park, MN 55443). Below, we have put together a slideshow of images of Ron’s time with the company.
A Tribute to Ron Denny (1946-2021) from Data Vortex on Vimeo.
A remembrance from Data Vortex Inventor Dr. Coke S. Reed (June 5, 2021):
“Ron Denny was a brilliant engineer and a true patriot. During my time at the Institute for Defense Analyses, I studied all the machines Ron delivered to the United States government. These studies were responsible for shaping the way I viewed computers and helped shepherd the abstract Data Vortex idea into hardware. As soon as Ron retired from General Dynamics, I knew for certain that he needed to be part of our team. Bringing him on was one of the best decisions I have ever made.
Without Ron Denny, the Data Vortex as we know it would not exist. There would be no systems delivered nor hardware designed. In Ron, I had not only a brilliant colleague but a wonderful friend. This friendship was like no other. Over the past fifteen years, Ron would visit Sylvia and me in Austin. We would spend hours on end sitting in my back room, working on new ideas, drinking glasses of Pinot Grigio, eating his beloved “Bin #78″ olives and telling stories. Oftentimes, he would dismiss mathematical equations as “chicken scratch” but always understood them better than he let on.
At every occasion, Ron would raise his glass and give a simple, but extremely meaningful toast: “Here’s to changing the world!”
Ron succeeded in doing that in more ways than one. And through the current direction of the company, we intend for his legacy to change the world even further.”