Michael Alexander Neacsu

Our dear friend left us on March 9. Born in Texas, his prowess and degrees in physics brought him to North Carolina where he was awarded a chair at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill as he worked on a Ph.D. In the years after he left UNC, he was employed by several computer companies in the area. His intelligence and ability to talk code with the best of area IT folks were appreciated at the North Carolina SuperComputing Center and beyond. But for some, his true genius lay in his ability to explain, in plain English, to non-technically inclined friends how to think like a computer. Far beyond his technical abilities, his observations, wit and charm brought an assortment of people into his circle of friends. Michael was known for always telling folks how much he appreciated their friendship. As one of his friends said, Michael has grateful down. And his friends also noted that he readily offered up the best hugs. We will miss his sideways observations on life that made us laugh and the love he offered so freely.