Saying Goodbye to Lars Kurth: Open Source Advocate and Friend

It is with a heavy heart that the Xen Project community says goodbye to Advisory Board Chair, Lars Kurth. Lars passed away earlier this week, leaving a hole in our community.

Lars joined the Xen Project in January 2011, and it’s no exaggeration to say that the project may not be here without him.  He worked to formalize the project’s governance documents, making it clear how companies could contribute and affect the decisions of the project.  He spearheaded the search for a “home” for Xen.org within a larger governing body and oversaw its movement into the Linux Foundation. 

He developed the concept of Xen Project sub-projects, and oversaw the addition of Xapi, Windows Drivers, Mirage, Unikraft, Automotive, and finally XCP-ng as sub-projects.  He was instrumental in forging relationships with various companies, finding out what their business goals were, and helping them see how they could work with the Xen Project to achieve them. Lars, gifted at communicating across boundaries, was a tireless peace-keeper. He always listened and strived for mutual understanding.  

Lars’ foresight was invaluable.  He had a clear view of trends and any future difficulties.  He was highly respected and trusted by those who knew him. This community is deeply grateful for Lars’ leadership, integrity, compassion and dynamism and the role he played in sustaining and building the Xen Project community.