As you can imagine, we're all in shock, and our hearts go out most of all to his wife, children, and other family members. (If you knew Rex--even a little bit--you knew that he was extraordinarily dedicated to his family.)
Rex was also dedicated to PC World--in fact, he was practically symbiotic with it. As senior technical editor, his job was to ensure that our content in print and online was accurate, fair, and clear. As someone who was uncommonly serious about doing the right thing, he was the perfect person for the position. And even after close to two decades at PCW, he was absolutely committed to doing everything in his power to make sure our content was as good as it could possibly be.
In other words, if you've ever benefited from PCW's reviews, tips, and news, chances are that you benefited from Rex's passion for technology journalism. In many ways, his job was a low-profile one--his name didn't pop up in the magazine all that often--but that's OK, because his influence showed up everywhere. Like I say, he was PC World.
We at PCW have lost a wonderful colleague; we've also lost a dear friend. And Rex worked extremely hard to be a friend to everyone. He was an old-school gentleman--the last e-mail I received from him before his passing was a thank-you note for a small present I'd given him.
If Rex was interested in something, he tended to be passionate about it, and his passions went beyond friends and family. He was a huge fan of guitar music, and a player himself. He loved to make homemade curries. He took weightlifting so seriously that he sure didn't look like a man who was nearly 60. And on and on.
The flood of e-mail memories we're receiving about Rex are proof--not that any was needed--that he had made countless friends in the media and in the technology industry over his long career. Many of them are telling us they're just as much in shock as we are.
We're also hearing from PCW readers, ones who didn't know Rex, who are sending their condolences. He'd be profoundly grateful to know that so many of the people who he served with his work took the time to tell his coworkers that he'd be missed.
Me, I still don't believe it. Rex's office was situated so close to the entrance to PCW's editorial department that it was hard to come into work without stopping by to chat with him. It's going to be a long, long time before instinct doesn't tell me to pop in and say hello.
Many people are asking about services, charity donations in Rex's memory, and the like; we don't have any details yet, but will pass them along when we do. Meanwhile, here's our tribute to our friend. (We'll also remember him in the next issue of the magazine.) Here's another from InfoWorld editor in chief and former PCWer Steve Fox. And here's a thread in our forums in which both folks who knew Rex and those who didn't have the pleasure are talking about him.
Lastly, here are more stories about Rex, via Google News. Some discuss the circumstances of his death, although reports are vague and conflicting, and I've seen articles that get basic facts wrong. I can't comment on the investigation. But if you've read this far, you know what I think about the kind of guy that Rex Farrance was, and might be able to draw your own conclusions about what I'd believe and not believe.
He was unforgettable and irreplaceable, and we're going to miss him forever...
Thank You for your words. Your desire to express the spirit of my father means so much to our family.
Aurora Byrne
Rex's daughter