My friend and Laridian co-founder Jeff Wheeler passed away this morning, the victim of a rare and particularly aggressive form of cancer. He was 49.
Jeff and I worked together for 27 years at three different companies and founded Laridian together. The features that you love in QuickVerse and PocketBible and which you often praise me for were likely Jeff’s ideas and his doing. If I didn’t build on Jeff’s foundation, he would dig me a new foundation while I was paying attention to something else. He was my sounding board and my reference library. While being all this to me, he still managed to deeply impact his family for Christ and touch others through his home school choir, his leadership in his local church, and his service to his denomination’s state board.
Men like this do not pass this way often. Well lived, Jeff.
Craig, and all — what a loss to Jeff’s family, to you, to the company, to the industry, an to us as a user community. When did you and I and Jeff begin our relationship — it was somewhere around 1988. That goes back almost as far as your personal relationship with Jeff.
Now, we can say that Jeff has found the fight, run the race, finished the course, and has been greeted by our Lord with those wonderful words — “Well done, good and faithful servant”
Craig, please extend my deepest sympathy to Lu and the family. Jeff will certainly be missed by all of us who knew him. And he will be missed by those of who never knew that they knew him but profited by his efforts.
He and I had many wonderful years of dialog as we tried to break things to make them better. I remember one time Jeff couldn’t finesse a piece of code to fix a problem, but as he said, he finally resorted to “brute force” and got it fixed anyway. What a guy. He always challenged me to do things that the average user would never think of doing, and occasionally we found things that needed repair.
I had a programming professor tell us one time that we needed to protect the user from the program and the program from the user. Jeff was so very adept at both.
I’ll miss him Craig, as I know you and the Cedar Rapids community will.
Blessings —
Dale
Sorry to hear of his passing. Laridian is best bible software is the best imho. His talents will be sorely missed.
Sorry to hear the news – an innovator. With Christ – FAR better!
Godspeed, Jeff. God bless your friends and family.
His loss to us brings sorrow, but his gain in going home to be with Jesus is worth celebrating.
My deepest condolences to you brother Craig and also to brother Jeff Wheeler’s family and friends.
“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” — Psalm 116:15
“Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.” — Revelation 14:13
May the God of all comfort be with you all in this time of grief (2 Cor. 1:3).
Brother Rafael
[...] would run their software. Thus, I was saddened by the news that Laridian co-founder Jeff Wheeler pass away at the young age of 49 after fighting a valiant battle with cancer. I know Jeff is now in a much [...]
I used QuickVerse for a number of years before moving to mobile devices and then PocketBible for Windows Mobile. I still think PocketBible for Windows Mobile was the most feature-rich and advanced Bible program I ever saw for any computer. God used these tools in my life to draw me closer to Himself. I’ve been very blessed my Jeff’s work.
I will pray for Jeff’s family and Laridian that God will give you His peace. Praise the Lord that Jeff is free of his cancer and rejoicing with our Jesus, our Savior!
I am very sad to hear this,May his soul rest in perfect peace, may the LORD continue to keep the family, A great loss to the kingdom of GOD on earth,may the reward of that he had done for the expansion of the kingdom of GOD on earth be waiting for him in heaven.
Our loss is Heaven’s gain. I’m saddened by Jeff’s death but he left a wonderful legacy. Because of his (and others)work I have read through the Bible about 8 or 9 times now. I’ve lost count. God’s word has become a part of my daily routine and I am blessed by it daily.
Craig-
So sorry to hear of Jeff’s passing. It’s a painful time. Stay close to God and he’ll heal you in time.
God’s comfort to you.
Have hung back a few days as I’m lost for words – so just to say praying for you folks
So sorry for the loss .. Praying for His family , that they will continue to find the Peace and comfort they need thru Jesus Christ
I am sorry to hear if this news. I remember finding this software for my pocket pc. I thought this the best software ever. I used it and told people of it extensively. Most all of my circle of influence went out and purchased a ppc and the software and also used it extensively. I am so grateful for the hard work and effort that went into it. Thank you. I will be praying for Jeff’s family and friends.
I am very saddened by the news that Laridian co-founder Jeff Wheeler passed away at the young age of 49. I have been using Pocket Bible/MyBible for about 10 years and your software has really helped me to dig into the word of God. I will be praying for all of you.
Dear Craig,
I am sorry to hear of this loss. I am praying that you will find comfort and strength in the Lord. Please extend our prayers and well-wishes to the Wheeler family.
H
Having completed the BIBLE plan I bless his memory for that possibility,for I would not have achieved it on my own vollision.
My prayers are with you,for you will surely miss him.
Blessyou,
Stan
My heart goes out to you and all those who were close to Jeff – grace, peace, and comfort to you. God has used his work in ways that he only is seeing now that he is Home.
I thank God for the work He placed in Jeff to do. Since the early days of Palm, I’ve been using your Bible and now since the iPad, it has been my main source.
I have always felt that my time at Parsons I had the best employers that I have experienced in my career. First was Trent Hancock that taught me the fun of testing software and then Craig and Jeff doing the same thing but in a Christian environment. I enjoyed my time there very much and was saddened to hear of Jeff’s final journey. However as sad as we are, Jeff is now free from pain and on to his next journey. Our sympathies go out to Laridian and Jeff’s family in this loss. Our prayers will be going out for all of you.
Deb
Just seen this very sad news. God bless Jeff, his family and co-workers.
Jeff and the company that he co-founded fundamentally changed the course of direction of many people’s lives and pointed them to God or more firmly on the path to God. What greater legacy is there than that. Thank you Jeff.