I wish you could have stayed longer…

Dan and I met in 2022, when he was the one person with the courage to tell me that our Intel TDX Connect work wasn’t good enough for Linux upstreaming. After three years of development, with the architecture reviewed by Intel TDX maintainers and the feature nearly production-ready, I was the lead architect. Then this new guy came along and, in essence, told me it still wasn’t good enough.

At first, I wanted to dislike him. But I couldn’t.

He was kind, calm, confident, honest, and incredibly smart. His feedback wasn’t about ego, but about making the work better. He inspired me not only technically, but as a person.

Looking back, Dan was a light in my life. Every conversation with him was a gem. I loved his personality, his laughter, and the humility and integrity he carried.

This is heartbreaking. I wish you could have stayed longer.

Thank you, Dan, for everything you showed and taught me. You made me a better engineer and a better person. Your honesty, brilliance, humility, and kindness will stay with me for the rest of my life.

Rest in peace, Dan. You will be deeply missed.