Steve's Passing
Steve Jobs died in at his home in Palo Alto, California at around 3 p.m. on October 5th, 2011. He had lost consciousness the afternoon prior and passed away with his wife, sisters, and children by his side.
Jobs' sister, Mona Simpson, writes, "Steve’s final words, hours earlier, were monosyllables, repeated three times.
Before embarking, he’d looked at his sister Patty, then for a long time at his children, then at his life’s partner, Laurene, and then over their shoulders past them. Steve’s final words were: OH WOW. OH WOW. OH WOW."
A small, private funeral was held on October 7th, 2011. In respect for the family, the location and time for the funeral was not publicized. Steve was buried in Alta Mesa Memorial Park in Palo Alto. (9)(13)(15)(16)(17)
Jobs' sister, Mona Simpson, writes, "Steve’s final words, hours earlier, were monosyllables, repeated three times.
Before embarking, he’d looked at his sister Patty, then for a long time at his children, then at his life’s partner, Laurene, and then over their shoulders past them. Steve’s final words were: OH WOW. OH WOW. OH WOW."
A small, private funeral was held on October 7th, 2011. In respect for the family, the location and time for the funeral was not publicized. Steve was buried in Alta Mesa Memorial Park in Palo Alto. (9)(13)(15)(16)(17)
Family and Friends' Statements
In memory of the longtime Apple CEO and co-founder, both Apple and Microsoft flew their flags at half-staff throughout their headquarters and campuses. Bob Iger, Walt Disney Company CEO, ordered flags at Walt Disney World and other company properties in the country to be flown half-staff. (1)(5)(14)
Apple announced Jobs' death to the world in a statement reading, "We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today. Steve's brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve. His greatest love was for his wife, Laurene, and his family. Our hearts go out to them and to all who were touched by his extraordinary gifts."
Steve's family issued the following message: "Steve died peacefully today surrounded by his family. In his public life, Steve was known as a visionary; in his private life, he cherished his family. We are thankful to the many people who have shared their wishes and prayers during the last year of Steve’s illness; a website will be provided for those who wish to offer tributes and memories. We are grateful for the support and kindness of those who share our feelings for Steve. We know many of you will mourn with us, and we ask that you respect our privacy during our time of grief."
Tim Cook, the Apple CEO after Jobs, sent out an e-mail to Apple employees saying, "Team, I have some very sad news to share with all of you. Steve passed away earlier today. Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple. We are planning a celebration of Steve’s extraordinary life for Apple employees that will take place soon. If you would like to share your thoughts, memories and condolences in the interim, you can simply email [email protected]. No words can adequately express our sadness at Steve’s death or our gratitude for the opportunity to work with him. We will honor his memory by dedicating ourselves to continuing the work he loved so much.Tim"
Barack Obama, U.S. President, issued a statement reading, "Michelle and I are saddened to learn of the passing of Steve Jobs. Steve was among the greatest of American innovators – brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it. By building one of the planet’s most successful companies from his garage, he exemplified the spirit of American ingenuity. By making computers personal and putting the internet in our pockets, he made the information revolution not only accessible, but intuitive and fun. And by turning his talents to storytelling, he has brought joy to millions of children and grownups alike. Steve was fond of saying that he lived every day like it was his last. Because he did, he transformed our lives, redefined entire industries, and achieved one of the rarest feats in human history: he changed the way each of us sees the world. The world has lost a visionary. And there may be no greater tribute to Steve’s success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented. Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to Steve’s wife Laurene, his family, and all those who loved him."
Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, said, "I’m truly saddened to learn of Steve Jobs’ death. Melinda and I extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends, and to everyone Steve has touched through his work. Steve and I first met nearly 30 years ago, and have been colleagues, competitors and friends over the course of more than half our lives. The world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact Steve has had, the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come. For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him, it’s been an insanely great honor. I will miss Steve immensely."
Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, said, "Steve, thank you for being a mentor and a friend. Thanks for showing that what you build can change the world. I will miss you."
John Lasseter, Chief Creative Officer, and Edwin Catmull, President, of Pixar Animation Studios write, in a Pixar homepage eulogy dedicated to Steve Jobs, "Steve was an extraordinary visionary, our very dear friend, and our guiding light of the Pixar family. He saw the potential of what Pixar could be before the rest of us, and beyond what anyone ever imagined. Steve took a chance on us and believed in our crazy dream of making computer animated films; the one thing he always said was to 'make it great'. He is why Pixar turned out the way we did and his strength, integrity, and love of life has made us all better people. He will forever be part of Pixar's DNA. Our hearts go out to his wife Laurene and their children during this incredibly difficult time." (12)(17)
Apple announced Jobs' death to the world in a statement reading, "We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today. Steve's brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve. His greatest love was for his wife, Laurene, and his family. Our hearts go out to them and to all who were touched by his extraordinary gifts."
Steve's family issued the following message: "Steve died peacefully today surrounded by his family. In his public life, Steve was known as a visionary; in his private life, he cherished his family. We are thankful to the many people who have shared their wishes and prayers during the last year of Steve’s illness; a website will be provided for those who wish to offer tributes and memories. We are grateful for the support and kindness of those who share our feelings for Steve. We know many of you will mourn with us, and we ask that you respect our privacy during our time of grief."
Tim Cook, the Apple CEO after Jobs, sent out an e-mail to Apple employees saying, "Team, I have some very sad news to share with all of you. Steve passed away earlier today. Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple. We are planning a celebration of Steve’s extraordinary life for Apple employees that will take place soon. If you would like to share your thoughts, memories and condolences in the interim, you can simply email [email protected]. No words can adequately express our sadness at Steve’s death or our gratitude for the opportunity to work with him. We will honor his memory by dedicating ourselves to continuing the work he loved so much.Tim"
Barack Obama, U.S. President, issued a statement reading, "Michelle and I are saddened to learn of the passing of Steve Jobs. Steve was among the greatest of American innovators – brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it. By building one of the planet’s most successful companies from his garage, he exemplified the spirit of American ingenuity. By making computers personal and putting the internet in our pockets, he made the information revolution not only accessible, but intuitive and fun. And by turning his talents to storytelling, he has brought joy to millions of children and grownups alike. Steve was fond of saying that he lived every day like it was his last. Because he did, he transformed our lives, redefined entire industries, and achieved one of the rarest feats in human history: he changed the way each of us sees the world. The world has lost a visionary. And there may be no greater tribute to Steve’s success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented. Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to Steve’s wife Laurene, his family, and all those who loved him."
Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, said, "I’m truly saddened to learn of Steve Jobs’ death. Melinda and I extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends, and to everyone Steve has touched through his work. Steve and I first met nearly 30 years ago, and have been colleagues, competitors and friends over the course of more than half our lives. The world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact Steve has had, the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come. For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him, it’s been an insanely great honor. I will miss Steve immensely."
Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, said, "Steve, thank you for being a mentor and a friend. Thanks for showing that what you build can change the world. I will miss you."
John Lasseter, Chief Creative Officer, and Edwin Catmull, President, of Pixar Animation Studios write, in a Pixar homepage eulogy dedicated to Steve Jobs, "Steve was an extraordinary visionary, our very dear friend, and our guiding light of the Pixar family. He saw the potential of what Pixar could be before the rest of us, and beyond what anyone ever imagined. Steve took a chance on us and believed in our crazy dream of making computer animated films; the one thing he always said was to 'make it great'. He is why Pixar turned out the way we did and his strength, integrity, and love of life has made us all better people. He will forever be part of Pixar's DNA. Our hearts go out to his wife Laurene and their children during this incredibly difficult time." (12)(17)
The Public's Reaction
Although the news of Jobs' death was not unexpected, as he was noticeable unhealthy and his cancer was well-known to the public, the event still left the world in shock. The Apple co-founder's face filled headlines of newspapers, news stations, and news sites around the world. The internet was practically mourning the loss of this innovative leader as millions of people flooded the comments sections of obituary articles with their consolation and memories of Mr. Jobs.
Crowds of Apple fans gathered at Apple stores all over the world leaving notes and flowers and holding up their iPads with flickering candles on the screens. Many people left apples with a single bite taken out of them. (11)
Crowds of Apple fans gathered at Apple stores all over the world leaving notes and flowers and holding up their iPads with flickering candles on the screens. Many people left apples with a single bite taken out of them. (11)
Hong Kong design student, Jonathan Mak, created a graphic design as a tribute to Steve Jobs. It displayed the apple logo with a silhouette of Steve's face superimposed where the bite had been. Mak explains that the white apple on a black background was more somber and also implies that Apple is missing a part of itself with Steve gone. This design quickly went viral on the Internet. (11)