Google: Google data center pioneer Luiz André Barroso passes away

59-year-old data center luminary Luiz André Barroso unexpectedly passed away on September 16, 2023.

The DC legend joined Google in 2001 and was fundamental in remodeling the company's DC design, impacting the industry. Before his journey with Google, Barroso worked at Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), where he designed the first ever multi-core CPU.

Urs Hölze, who co-wrote 'The Datacenter as a Computer" with Barroso, wrote on Linkedin that he was more than the average scientist, though he was very modest about his skills. "During the pandemic, he was one of the key people forging consensus around Bluetooth-based contact tracing, which a recent Nature paper estimated to have saved 10,000 lives in the UK alone," Hölze wrote.

Aside from being a computer scientist, Hölze mentioned that Barrosso was also very skilled with his guitar, recently completing an album with legends like Zeca Assumpção and Sergio Reze. "When I think about all that Luiz has accomplished, it's more than most could do in several lifetimes. And he did it with more grace and warmth than almost anyone. I will miss you, Luiz," Hölze concluded.