[rpd] In Memoriam: Alan Barrett

[Evelyn Namara]

This is truly shocking! So sad to hear of the passing of my dear friend
Alan!
He was a gentle giant, a kind soul, and a resource for this ecosystem.

I will forever cherish the moments our work interfaced and his consistent
cheering me on!

Rest easy friend!

On Thu, May 28, 2026 at 4:57 PM Gbemisola Esho <gbemiadepojuesho at gmail.com>
wrote:

> May his soul rest in peace, though I hardly knew him but I knew of him
> that is work.
> Condolences to his friends and family.
>
> Gbemisola Esho.
>
> On Thu, 28 May 2026, 14:18 Seun Ojedeji, <seun.ojedeji at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> 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
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> RPD mailing list
>>> RPD at afrinic.net
>>> https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo/rpd
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>
>> *Seun Ojedeji,*
>>
>> Bringing another down does not take you up - think about your action!
>>
>>
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>> https://lists.afrinic.net/mailman/listinfo/rpd
>>
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