[rpd] In Memoriam: Alan Barrett

[Seun Ojedeji]

Very sad news: Africa has lost one of the founding fathers of AFRINIC, a
great technocrat and a dear friend of the community. He will be dearly
missed, may his soul rest in peace!

Regards

On Thu, 28 May 2026 at 07:42, Andrew Alston <aa at alstonnetworks.net> wrote:

> Dear friends and colleagues,
>
> As some of you will already be aware, it is with immense sadness that we
> confirm, on behalf of his wife Kerry and the family, the passing of Alan
> Barrett. Alan died on May 28th in Cape Town, South Africa, following a
> diagnosis of late-stage cancer about a month ago. We are sharing this
> notice so that the community has accurate information at a moment when
> Kerry and the family need space to grieve.
>
> Alan was a friend, a willing listener, and someone who always stepped up
> to help when called upon. His contributions to the African Internet
> ecosystem were second to none, and with his passing we lose not only a
> friend but a giant of the industry.
>
> In 1990, Alan helped establish the very first Internet connection to South
> African universities, and in 1993 he co-founded the country's first
> commercial Internet Service Provider. In 1997 he co-authored the proposal
> to create AfriNIC and subsequently served on the steering committee tasked
> with bringing it into being. Alan served on the AfriNIC board from 2004 to
> 2009 and was a member of the NRO NC from 2004 to 2014. In 2015 he was
> appointed CEO of AfriNIC, a role he held until 2019.
>
> Beyond Africa, he was a central participant in the IANA Stewardship
> Transition Coordination Group, and until his death served on the ICANN
> board on behalf of the Address Supporting Organisation.
>
> Alan will be sorely missed by the community, his relatives and his wife,
> Kerry.
>
> Kerry and the family ask for privacy at this time. We will be organising
> an online memorial in due course and will share details once they are
> available.
>
> Andrew Alston
> Remco van Mook
> _______________________________________________
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> RPD at afrinic.net
> https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo/rpd
>


-- 
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*Seun Ojedeji,*

Bringing another down does not take you up - think about your action!
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