The title says "IRC inventor", whereas the article states:

> In the mid-1980s he was a pioneer in developing Internet Relay Chat, creating a language that made BITNET Relay possible. Relay was the predecessor to IRC. "Jeff was the main force behind RELAY, the Bitnet message and file transfer program," Gambrell said. "It inspired the creation of IRC."

Just thought I'd clarify that for anyone reading the comments before the article.

Ok, we changed the title to reflect that. (Submitted title was "Jeff Kell, ListServ pioneer and IRC inventor dies".)

Great Loss! One thing I noticed (and is it only me?): too young. All the great IT guys die too young.

Looking at my peers in their 50s or 60s, so many of them suffer from some kind of disability. Usually knees. But also liver, cancer, etc.

Why?

I'd suspect it's at least partly survivor bias (in reverse?). IT is new enough that "All the great IT guys" are young. The ones that are unfortunate enough to have died will necessarily have died young, with a few notable exceptions (such as Dennis Ritchie, though one could argue that even 70 is "too young" in this day and age.

Another factor could be that IT guys on average do not lead the most healthy life-styles.

any idea if there is any podcast around where he is a guest speaker? Would like to hear more about the relay technologies.

"... having worked for a short time at the Chattanooga Aquarium where he fed the sharks."

That's also a line for people who died of shark attack. (ok, not Chattanooga Aquarium specifically)

Just saying. ;)

An example of a BITNET Relay session [0]:

  /SIGNUP robert harper
  * Thank you for signing up, robert harper.
  * Now use the /SIGNON <nickname> command to
  * establish a nickname and to logon Relay.
  /SIGN ON rob
  Welcome to the Inter Chat Relay Network, Rob.
  Your host is RELAY@FINHUTC (Finland).
  Your last logon was at 08:39:23 on 03/17/89.
  There are 67 users on 27 relays.
  /HELP
  **************** Relay Commands ***************
  /Bye . . . . . . . . . . . . Signoff from Relay
  /Channel <num> . . . . .Change to channel <num>
  /Contact <host-nick> . .Show Relay contact info
  /Getop . . . . . Try to summon a Relay operator
  /Help. . . . . . . . . . . . . Prints this list
  /Info. . . . . . . . . . . Send RELAY INFO file
  /Invite <nick> . . .Invite user to your channel
  /Links . . . . . . . . . . .Shows active relays
  /List. . . . . . . . . . . List active channels
  /Msg <nick> <text> . . . .Sends private message
  /Nick <newnick>. . . . . . Change your nickname
  /Names <channel> . . . . .Show users with names
  /Rates . . . . . . . . . .Display message rates
  /Servers <node>. . . . Show relays serving node
  /Signon <nick> <channel> . . . .Signon to Relay
  /Signon <nick>,SHIFT . . Forces uppercase shift
  /Signon <nick>,UNSHIFT . Forces lowercase shift
  /Signoff . . . . . . . . . . Signoff from Relay
  /Signup <full name>. Signup or change full name
  /Stats . . . . . . . . Display Relay statistics
  /Summon <userid>@<node>. . Invite user to Relay
  /Topic <subject> . . . . Topic for your channel
  /Who <channel> . . . . Show users and nicknames
  /WhoIs <nick>. . . . . . . .Identify a nickname 
  /LINKS    
  RELAY Version 01.24x0 Host RELAY@FINHUTC (Finland)
  Relay  RELAY  @ CEARN   (  Geneva  ) ->  Finland
  Relay  RELAY  @ DEARN   ( Germany  ) ->  Switzerland
  Relay  RELAY  @ AEARN   ( Austria  ) ->  Germany
  Relay  RELAY  @CZHRZU1A (  Zurich  ) ->  Geneva
  Relay  RELAY  @ HEARN   ( Holland  ) ->  Geneva
  Relay  RELAY  @TAUNIVM  ( TAUrelay ) ->  Geneva
  Relay  RELAY  @EB0UB011 (Barcelona ) ->  Geneva
  Relay  RELAY  @ ORION   (New_Jersey) ->  Geneva
  Relay  RELAY  @ BITNIC  ( NewYork  ) ->  New_Jersey
  Relay  RELAY  @JPNSUT10 (  Tokyo   ) ->  NewYork
  Relay  RELAY  @ VILLVM  (Philadelph) ->  New_Jersey
  Relay  RELAY  @NDSUVM1  (No_Dakota ) ->  New_Jersey
  Relay  RLY   @CORNELLC (Ithaca_NY ) ->  New_Jersey
  Relay  RELAY  @ UTCVM   (Tennessee ) ->  Pittsburgh
  Relay  RELAY  @UIUCVMD  (Urbana_IL ) ->  Pittsburgh
  Relay  RELAY  @CANADA01 ( Canada01 ) ->  Ithaca_NY
  Relay  RELAY  @  AUVM   ( Wash_DC  ) ->  Va_Tech
  Relay  RELAY  @ VTVM2   ( Va_Tech  ) ->  Ithaca_NY
  Relay  RELAY  @UALTAVM  ( Edmonton ) ->  Canada01
  Relay  RELAY  @NYUCCVM  (   Nyu    ) ->  New_Jersey
  Relay  RELAY  @  UWF    (Pensacola ) ->  Va_Tech
  Relay MASRELAY@  UBVM   ( Buffalo  ) ->  Ithaca_NY
  Relay  RELAY  @CMUCCVMA (Pittsburgh) ->  Ithaca_NY
  Relay  RELAY  @PURCCVM  (  Purdue  ) ->  Pittsburgh
  Relay  RELAY  @UREGINA1 (Regina_Sk ) ->  Canada01
  Relay  RELAY  @ GITVM1  ( Atlanta  ) ->  Tennessee

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BITNET_Relay#Usage