Tribute from Vint Cerf, 1998 Marconi Fellow:
It’s with a heavy heart that I share the news that Bob Lucky, our 1987 Marconi Fellow and former Chairman, passed away on Friday, March 10. Those who knew him will remember his energy, sense of humor, humility, and dedication to the practice and teaching of communications technology.
The world knew Bob as the inventor of the adaptive equalizer, a foundational enabler of high-speed modems and, by extension, the amazing connected world that we live in today. His books and technical papers enriched the field and spurred new innovations. Bob was a beloved speaker and writer, always injecting humor and the human perspective into even the most technical discussions. His long-standing IEEE Reflections column was loved by many and I was an avid reader. Many of those columns can be found here.
At the Marconi Society, Bob graced us with his wit and wisdom as the emcee of our Marconi Society Awards gala for many years. You can read a summary of his contributions to information and communications technology, including his deep engagement with the IEEE and government advisory boards, here.
Bob’s leadership, commitment to the continued evolution of engineering, and his dedication to the Marconi Society will not be forgotten. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.
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Tribute from Leonard Kleinrock, 1986 Marconi Fellow:
I had the privilege of being friends with Bob for over 50 years. During that time, I was honored to know the public Bob Lucky and the personal Bob Lucky. There was so much to love about both of them.
Everyone who knows the public Bob Lucky knows what an exceptional story teller he was. He was realistic and genuine. Even when he was talking or writing about the most technical topics, he would take you down a story line and then hit you with a perfectly timed, often self-deprecating, punchline.
Bob’s attention to detail was legendary, in both his professional and his personal life. He knew the intricacies of everything and everyone—whether it was technology, events or people, he remembered every detail, thought through every outcome, and noticed every nuance.
Beyond his public persona, Bob was one of the most incredible friends I have ever had. He was open, vulnerable and authentic. He knew how to be a friend and to have a friend. While we enjoyed so many wonderful times together, some of my fondest memories are of the bike trips we took both domestically and abroad (check out our memories here). While Bob meticulously planned the trips, we were somehow always riding lousy rental bikes in poor repair, breaking down everywhere from the beaches of Normandy to the Irish countryside. It seemed that every time we had a decision to make regarding directions (using our one inch square GPS screens and paper maps), we usually made the wrong one; the net result is that we got lost on every bike trip we took. Through it all, I learned that I’d rather be lost with Bob Lucky than with anyone else.
I will miss Bob, his brilliant contributions to science, and his one-of-a-kind friendship.
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Tribute from Andrew Viterbi, 1990 Marconi Fellow:
I interacted with Bob for over thirty years at Bell Labs, at countless conferences, and through the Marconi Society in the early days. When Gioia Marconi Braga had just founded and was establishing the validity of the organization to honor her father’s memory and achievements, Bob was her invaluable advisor, especially as the Chair of the Selection Committee. It would be no exaggeration to say that without Bob’s advice and leadership, the Marconi Society would have been a far different institution, if it had survived at all. The organization is poised to commemorate its fiftieth anniversary next year.
Of course, this is only one success Bob achieved in his long career. Besides the technology developments known to us all, his journalistic talents devoted largely to the IEEE and its Communication Society provided wisdom and humor, particularly through his decades-long column “Reflections,” which will preserve his memory for the benefit of our profession.
