A tragic loss

[Jeremy White]

I am deeply saddened to report that our friend and colleague, Józef 
Kucia, died last month at the age of 28.

Józef first contributed to Wine in March of 2012, showing remarkable 
skill with Wine’s D3D technology.  He became a key contributor to Wine, 
submitting over 2,500 patches. He also contributed to other open source 
projects including Mesa and Debian.  Józef founded and led the vkd3d 
project and provided insight and guidance to the Vulkan working group.

While technically brilliant, Józef was a man of few words. He carried a 
quiet kindness, but it could be difficult to draw him out.

One topic that would get Józef talking was his love for caving. Similar 
in spirit to mountain climbing, caving is a sport of discovery and 
exploration. Groups of explorers seek to uncover and map new cave 
systems while enjoying the startling beauty of the underground world. 
Caving is a physically and psychologically demanding sport, requiring 
the ability to maneuver in very tight spaces, often in absolute darkness.

A group of us at CodeWeavers had the good fortune of sharing in Józef's 
love for caving in conversation and on a trip to a local climbing wall 
last year. In his quiet way, Józef impressed us all with his skill and 
grace. It was clear from his talents and his joy in conversation that 
caving was a passion for Józef.

This August, Józef took an extended vacation to the Tatra mountains to 
explore the longest and deepest cave in Poland, Wielka Sniezna ("Great 
Snowy Cave"). While exploring, he and another member of his group of six 
became separated by an unexpected flow of water.  Despite an extensive 
rescue operation, Józef and his companion died.

Words cannot express the sorrow and heartbreak we feel.  All of us at 
CodeWeavers extend our heartfelt condolences to Józef's family, friends, 
loved ones, and everyone else who grieves his passing.

We take some solace from knowing that Józef died doing something he 
loved, with full understanding of the risks involved.  We admire the 
courage and ambition he displayed in pursuing his passion.  While his 
life ended far too soon, it was a life well and fully lived.

There will be Holy Mass for Józef at 2 PM in Św. Mikołaja Cathedral in 
Bielsko-Biała on September 11.

Jeremy