Today, we would like to take a moment to honor our friend and colleague Harry Williams, who passed away unexpectedly last week. As a cherished leader, mentor, and respected visionary from Marist College, Harry dedicated his life to education, community, and the pursuit of excellence. He retired in 2024 from Marist College, where he most recently served as Chief Technology Officer. He left a mark on everyone fortunate enough to know him, especially those in the mainframe community.
Harry was an early pioneer in bringing Linux to the mainframe, being a core part of the Marist College team that ported Linux to s390 in 1999. His leadership in the Linux on mainframe community helped launch the Open Mainframe Project at the Linux Foundation in 2015. As a Governing Board member, he played a key role in leading the project to success, including moving from a small initiative to an umbrella organization that hosts more than 18 sub-projects, working groups, and programs.
When he retired in June 2024, Harry was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Open Mainframe Project for his unwavering commitment and insightful leadership.
As an academic trailblazer, Harry was also a longtime member of the SHARE community. He held numerous leadership roles — including program manager, vice president, treasurer, and numerous director and committee roles — before serving as SHARE President from 2016 to 2018.
He was known not only for his brilliance and leadership but also for his unwavering compassion, integrity, and dedication to the community. Under his guidance, countless students and developers alike discovered their potential and found the courage to pursue their dreams.
Today, we celebrate Harry, who lived a life that inspired, uplifted, and transformed. While we mourn the loss, we carry forward his spirit in every lesson, every kindness extended, and every dream realized.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to Harry’s wife, Janice, and his family and friends. We are grateful for his many years of leadership, service, and friendship and will miss him terribly.
A tribute to Harry will be posted on the Burnett & White Funeral Homes website: https://www.burnett-white.com/obituaries/obituary-listings?page=1
We also wanted to give our community a chance to share their condolences:
“Harry’s leadership made a significant impact on Open Mainframe Project. His contributions not only guided our direction for 9 years, but also inspired those around him to strive for excellence. I appreciated his wisdom, his friendship, and consistent advocacy.” – John Mertic, The Linux Foundation
“Harry was a true advocate of the mainframe and an active community member volunteering to support education initiatives and open source to drive the platform forward. He will be deeply missed, but his impact and legacy will always be with us.” – Meredith Stowell, IBM
“Harry was always so supportive of the mainframe, and such a sweet and gentle guy in every conversation I had with him. Thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends at this difficult time.” – Steven Dickens, HyperFRAME Research
“He was a very good friend. Rest in Peace, Sir.” – Dr. Cameran Seay, East Carolina University
“Harry was an amazing leader, friend, colleague, and visionary. I was fortunate to work alongside him for many years and witness his passion for the mainframe community. I learned a great deal from him and am honored to have had the opportunity to call him a dear friend. He will be greatly missed, but never forgotten.” – Donna Hudi, Phoenix Software International
“Harry and I go back to the beginning of time working together. He was one of the kindest and honorable people I have ever known. I will miss Harry very much and I will always remember him for all he did for our mainframe community and especially me. May his soul rest in peace.” – Len Santalucia, Vicom Infinity, a Converge Company
