Memories of John "Rick" Richard Sosoka, II

I do not even know where to start, John was the most intelligent and kind person I ever met. He challenged us to better society, learning and our souls. I will miss him

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John Sosoka III

Allen Alley

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Amy Williams Opheim

Such terribly sad news. John was one of the smartest people I've ever known, and one of the kindest as well. His mentorship and guidance helped to launch my career and set a standard of excellence, curiosity, and caring that I still carry today. He'll be missed, but has left an indelible mark.

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Deborah Levy

John Sosoka III

Emily Sosoka McCarrel

Allen Alley

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Steven Wasick

I am so sad to know now that my Uncle Rick is gone. Prior to his passing I wrote him this note which I've posted below.

Dear Uncle Rick,

I wanted to write to you and let you know how much you've meant to me and how important you have been in my life. Growing up, I really idolized you. I loved going over to your super cool house down on the beach. I would tell all my friends at school about my uncle who had an ARCADE GAME in his house! And not just any game, but Stargate (don't you think that was criminally underrated?)

You also had the best stereo equipment and hip artwork and awesome parties. Going over to your house for your volleyball parties was always one of the highlights of my week. And of course, you also had the coolest car- the Alfa Romeo! Whenever I got the chance to actually ride in it it was a big thrill. I still remember it had special racing seat belts and you would have to help strap me in.

I also got to spend time with you when I was a little kid running around the office space that you shared with Grandpa. I loved hanging around you and your team and pretending like I was one of the guys. You always took the time to indulge me when I had silly little kid ideas about inventions I could build. At one point I put together this over-the-top design for a spaceship just so I could show it to you. I really believed that if we worked on it together we would be able to build it.

As I got older, you helped me with more serious projects. In middle school you let me use the high-tech software at Davidson to morph primate faces into mine for my big eighth-grade project. It took the whole weekend but you kept helping me until I got it right.

When I got into computer programming in high school you always helped me find cutting-edge software and taught me how to use it. I always loved visiting your offices and learning about all the exciting new projects you were working on. As I got into business myself, you took the time to give me really good advice, even if I didn't always fully understand it at first. Many of the things that you have told me guide me to this day, and I've now been able to pass on some of the advice you've given me to others.

I'm also so grateful that I got to go on so many sailing adventures with you on the Cuckoo's Nest. I started off pretty much knowing nothing about sailing but I learned so much from you during the years we raced together. I was lucky enough to sail to Catalina with some friends just last month and I got to put much of what you've taught me to good use.

I only had one Uncle growing up, but thankfully I got the best one a kid could ever ask for. I loved hearing all your funny puns during Thanksgiving dinner, talking to you about technology and futurism, getting some Deutschmarks from you in Munich to have my first 'family approved' beer, playing on your team in pool at the family reunions, and so much more. Throughout everything, you were always relentlessly positive, curious, and enthusiastic and I still aspire to be like you.

I love you, Uncle Rick.

Your nephew,
Steve

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John Sosoka III

Anna Sosoka

Tyler Wilson

YON - Jan C. Hardenbergh

Emily Sosoka McCarrel

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Tyler Wilson

2012, Eagle, ID, USA

John in his native habitat

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John Sosoka III

Deborah Levy

YON - Jan C. Hardenbergh

Allen Alley

Pete Skeggs

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Tyler Wilson

Sorry about the poor photo quality. This is John as I remember him much of the time - surrounded by books,... Read more Sorry about the poor photo quality. This is John as I remember him much of the time - surrounded by books, electronics, likely... Read more Sorry about the poor photo quality. This is John as... Read more

YON - Jan C. Hardenbergh

2021, Sudbury, Mass

R.I.P. jrs - a cork nanoshrine way out East.

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YON - Jan C. Hardenbergh

1987, Belmont Shore, Long Beach, CA, USA

Family visit to the newly weds.

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John Sosoka III

Allen Alley

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YON - Jan C. Hardenbergh

1997, On freeway on way to LAX

We probably had 2 conversations about politics, so, I guess he was mostly libertarian, while I am more of a tree hugging frugal Yankee small l-liberal. After SIGGRAPH, I spent a few days with John & Sylvia. He was driving me to the airport with his the AC on and the windows cracked open a bit. I need to mention that he had just treated me to a Starbucks triple grande latte - still my order. Anyway, as you might imagine, I was trying to convince him of the error of his ways and how it was a waste of resources, etc. He wasn't really disagreeing with me, but after a bit he said "they are my resources, why can't I use them how I see fit?" That took a while to sink in. While he was waiting and waiting for my sharp retort, he had a swig of coffee. When I finally said "you're right" he did a hollywood style spit take - spraying coffee on the wheel and dashboard. We both laughed and laughed.

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Allen Alley

John Sosoka III

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John Sosoka III

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YON - Jan C. Hardenbergh

1998, Cambridge, MA, USA

In the early days of Neurosmith, John came to Boston several times to talk with great minds at MIT & Harvard or where ever. I tagged along to the Media Lab to talk with an expert on kids and computers. After a bit of introductions, the guy exclaimed, "Oh, you're the guy who did KidCAD." They had quite the whirlwind after that.

KidCAD also showed John's knack for what was coming down the pike. KidCAD was released on CDROM which was still unpopular when he made his bet on it. He also bet on Bluetooth early and could hade a nice business selling his little system as an OEM, but, he wanted to see his vision come to life.

Speaking of genius, he got an award from Intel for helping them figure out the MMX instructions. MMX gave PCs graphic a big boost in the lates 1990s. I wish I knew the full story behind that. I also wish I had seen a demo of the super secret project he did for the Emerson Electronics PC help bot. My imagination says it was animated version of Siri to help new PC users. The company killed to product and would not sell him the software he developed for any amount.

Allen talked about Pleo, which, due to my own vortex at the time, I missed. I think of MusicBlocks, perhaps also because that was his first major gizmo. The amount of research, design, composition, engineering and care that went into MusicBlocks was phenomenal and I loved the result.

As much of a genius as he was, he was unlucky in business. Neurosmith was taken away and MusicBlocks is still for sale, but, it is not the same as when John made it. He made a lot of money for a lot of people and he lived a glorious life what he was being the maker's maker.

More personal & SIGGRAPH stories to come!

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John Sosoka III

Allen Alley

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YON - Jan C. Hardenbergh

My heart goes out to Sylvia, John Jr. and Emily. I wish you courage and stamina to reforge your world without him. He was a true friend to me and we shared shared so many interests and a GEEKY outlook on life. I miss him. A lot. I have so many stories to add, but they take time to craft. I will be posting as I can. Love to all!

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John Sosoka III

Emily Sosoka McCarrel

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John Sosoka III

Thank you for the words Jan. You were one of my dads dearest friends. We really look forward to your upcoming... Read more Thank you for the words Jan. You were one of my dads dearest friends. We really look forward to your upcoming posts :) Thank you for the words Jan. You were one of my dads... Read more

YON - Jan C. Hardenbergh

As he was one of my dearest! As he was one of my dearest! As he was one of my dearest!

Emily Sosoka McCarrel

Yon thank you so much! I remember being little and I asked him “how did you know my mom was THE one?”

... Read more Yon thank you so much! I remember being little and I asked him “how did you know my mom was THE one?”

And he said something... Read more Yon thank you so much! I remember being little and... Read more

YON - Jan C. Hardenbergh

Emily, I remember that night! John had not struck me as romantic before that night. I can picture him staring... Read more Emily, I remember that night! John had not struck me as romantic before that night. I can picture him staring out the window and... Read more Emily, I remember that night! John had not struck me... Read more

Jim Dunn

I barely knew John. I met him through Sylvia who I knew from real estate. My family and I were invited to a Mexican dinner which was huge and great. The reason was to see a demo of Pleo.
Sylvia often referred to John as brilliant but her best words for him were, sweet, kind and gentle.
After dinner John asked the kids to assemble around a table. Two sons, two daughters and a batch of kids, 8-10 of them.
John woke Pleo and began explaining in words these youngsters could grasp and in the kindest way what he was about. No keep your hands off my invention but touch him. He had Pleo walk to the edge of the table to show he would not pass the edge and fall off. All were bug eyed and amazed.
The point of this is, John took his time to carefully, kindly, gently, lovingly show everyone a creation from his brilliant mind.
I'll always remember him as the man I wish I would have met sooner and known much long. An exceptional person.

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John Sosoka III

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Bob McGill

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Allen Alley

John Sosoka III

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Bob McGill

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Allen Alley

YON - Jan C. Hardenbergh

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YON - Jan C. Hardenbergh

He was lucky to have so many good friends! He was lucky to have so many good friends! He was lucky to have so many good friends!

Bob McGill

1988, Long Beach, CA, USA

The world has lost a gentle and beautiful man. Like so many others, I too consider John the smartest guy I have ever known. He was a true renaissance man; loved art, architecture, beaches, flowers, tacos, coffee and cold beer. Sylvia, Emily and John III meant everything to him. His genius was not just living and breathing the intricacies of computer science, but being able to explain it to the rest of us. It was John who introduced me to the mouse, the Apple Lisa’s graphical UI, SIGCHI and object-oriented programming. In ’88 we were “four guys in a garage” at TAG. John would read all the CS tech journals and insert sticky notes on “must read” articles. I decided to stump John and quizzed him about an obscure article that was referenced only in the footnotes. He didn’t skip a beat. “Well, that’s interesting”, he said, “I have that article and am happy to explain it to you”. One morning, after working through the night on a thorny problem, we hit the beach with the requisite lattes. John got a sudden inspiration and sketched out solution in the sand which he later converted to code. I remember a crusty guy at Ford who tried to derail John’s sales pitch. “How will your system integrate with the Group 4 Fax standard?. John didn’t bat an eye. “I’m glad you asked that,” replied John, and after a few minutes the guy was eating out of John’s hand. John plays a leading role in so many fond Long Beach memories. I miss him already.

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Allen Alley

Deborah Levy

John Sosoka III

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Allen Alley

Well said. You captured the essence of John. Well said. You captured the essence of John. Well said. You captured the essence of John.

John Sosoka III

Thank you Bob for sharing these memories; I know that you two share a great many. He really did like to use... Read more Thank you Bob for sharing these memories; I know that you two share a great many. He really did like to use the sand like that...I... Read more Thank you Bob for sharing these memories; I know that... Read more

Allen Alley

I posted this to Facebook in hopes of reaching others who worked with John.

My friend John Sosoka passed away recently. I am posting this so if you know John, or would like to know more about him, you can go to his virtual memorial (very John).

John was one of the brightest, innovative, multi-disciplined engineers I ever met. I always had to have my "A" game ready to engage in a conversation with him. He pushed me to think differently and to constantly push the bounds of innovation.

He created so many amazing products and always had a passion for introducing technology to children at a human scale to inspire them to be curious and to carry on his passion for innovation.

One of his products are Music Blocks. They play different music based on the orientation of the blocks and the order of the blocks. Kids actually compose music just by arranging the blocks. It is a great example of a user interface that is easy to learn and is immediately rewarding but allows you to become an expert through experimentation. It is one of the best examples of an approachable user interface I have ever seen. You can still buy his music blocks. If you have little kids, absolutely get these. https://www.amazon.com/Small-…

He also developed Pleo, a robotic dinosaur that was WAY ahead of its time. My grandson, Junior, is fascinated with it. His fascination extends beyond just enjoying the lifelike interactions with Pleo, to a curiosity of how did John design and develop such an amazing robotic pet. I am sure Junior’s engineering passion has been fueled by John.

John was so passionate about making Pleo approachable and as lifelike as possible. He was always working to make technology more human friendly. I cherished our discussions and only regret we didn't work on more projects together. You can learn more about Pleo here https://www.pleoworld.com/ple…

Besides all of that, he was genuinely a wonderful person. Someone that just having a cup of coffee with him would enrich your life. He loved people and genuinely cared about us and his community. John was passionate about everything, coffee, food, volleyball, sailing, cars, engineering, his family, and above all using technology to bring us together and enhance lives.

More people know about Steve Jobs, Elon Musk and Mark Rober, but John Sosoka deserves to be in the same sentence as he combines many of the best attributes of each. There was a disturbance in the Force when he passed but it didn't lessen it. John is passing his Force to the next generation through his work, family, community, friendships, products and love.
Thank you for sharing your time on earth with us.

Your friend,
Allen Alley

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Deborah Levy

John Sosoka III

Pete Skeggs

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Deborah Levy

I agree 100% that the Sosoka genius is in the pantheon of the other innovators and movers-and-shakers you... Read more I agree 100% that the Sosoka genius is in the pantheon of the other innovators and movers-and-shakers you mention. I agree 100% that the Sosoka genius is in the pantheon... Read more

John Sosoka III

Allen, thank you so much for taking the time to write this up. You have done a wonderful job helping to capture... Read more Allen, thank you so much for taking the time to write this up. You have done a wonderful job helping to capture my dad for this... Read more Allen, thank you so much for taking the time to write... Read more

Liz Cantwell

Shared a heart

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Caleb Chung

Bogus Basin, ad, Boise, ID

Of course John is barefoot at the ski resort...Thats Christi and me on the right.

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John Sosoka III

Allen Alley

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Caleb Chung

2010, In the sky somewhere

Off for a little adventure

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Liz Cantwell

John Sosoka III

Allen Alley

Jim Dunn

Tyler Wilson

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Caleb Chung

2010, Hong Kong

A font of life and a fire hydrant

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Allen Alley

John Sosoka III

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Caleb Chung

2010, Jetta Factory, China

John and Jumbo Pleo

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Liz Cantwell

Caleb Chung

Deborah Levy

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Allen Alley

Wow! So cool. I can't imagine a big one. Wow! So cool. I can't imagine a big one. Wow! So cool. I can't imagine a big one.

Caleb Chung

My friend John possessed a beautiful mind, the soul of a teacher and an endless capacity for empathy. He made beautiful things with the sole purpose of giving something to others, something that would help them grow and evolve. I remember when I first saw Johns bookshelves. I was amazed. All these technical software and robotic texts, mixed in with psychology, physics, evolution, consciousness, child behavior, animal behavior and so much more. Every book stuffed with sticky notes marking some piece of knowledge he wanted to remember, reread or cross reference. To me this said volumes about who John was. He loved to learn and share his knowledge. I remember one time we were all in his garage working on a project. A neighbor boy walked by and stopped because he was curious about what we were doing. John halted everything he was doing to explain and teach. What that moment meant to that kid and how that gift of learning changed his life, I can only guess. I just know that I was one of those lucky kids. I was so incredibly fortunate to have this amazing, kind and gifted teacher help me see how the world and humans worked and how everything was interconnected.

John and I had a long talk one night outside in the parking lot of that little Italian restaurant in Eagle. We spoke for hours about the nature of the universe and what it is made of. We spoke of how at the smallest quantum level we are all made of the same material. I believe John was a very special nexus of that material that emanated love and learning to everyone around him. From what I understand, those emanations will continue to ripple out through the universe forever. A beautiful soul.

Travel well, John

Caleb Chung

7/25/2021

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Deborah Levy

Liz Cantwell

John Sosoka III

Anna Sosoka

Allen Alley

YON - Jan C. Hardenbergh

Pete Skeggs

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Comments:

Allen Alley

You captured the essence of John. A beautiful tribute. Thank you for sharing. You captured the essence of John. A beautiful tribute. Thank you for sharing. You captured the essence of John. A beautiful tribute.... Read more

Bob McGill

Caleb, we never met but I followed your journey with John from Furby to Pleo and he loved working with you.... Read more Caleb, we never met but I followed your journey with John from Furby to Pleo and he loved working with you. Thanks for that wonderful... Read more Caleb, we never met but I followed your journey with... Read more

John Sosoka III

Thank you Caleb, this was truly beautiful. My father really cherished your friendship, you two were an incredible... Read more Thank you Caleb, this was truly beautiful. My father really cherished your friendship, you two were an incredible duo. I have ... Read more Thank you Caleb, this was truly beautiful. My father... Read more

YON - Jan C. Hardenbergh

Thanks Caleb. Well said. Bob & JRSIII Are right, he did love working with you. Thanks Caleb. Well said. Bob & JRSIII Are right, he did love working with you. Thanks Caleb. Well said. Bob & JRSIII Are right, ... Read more

Deborah Levy

Dear Sylvia, Emily and John III,
My heart aches with the loss of John II. He was one of the most influential figures in my professional life and a mentor beyond mentors. Beyond his intellectual and creative genius, John was kind and caring. I knew how much he cared about not only his products, but about everyone he worked with.

One story I tell other people regularly still to this day, is that I once asked John to share with me any “secrets” from his own childhood that may have helped him become the inventor and creative thinker that he was. He shared with me that in his youth, and as a parent himself, he was given and in turn gave space for creative thought and use of toys. He’d have LEGO or Tinkertoys or Lincoln Logs or found items, stacked up and built upon for days without needing to clean up at the end of each day! That’s quite a gift for a parent to share - to allow for a “messy” living room!

I know I’m blessed for having the time I did to work with John at Davidson and then more closely at Neurosmith. Getting to know you all, his family, and his extended family as well, has made my life richer, no doubt.

I still wonder how John managed to never get cold... I have memories of our Neurosmith team in New York City in February at Toy Fair, standing outside of a restaurant in the cold, snow on the ground, and John’s in shorts and a tshirt. He did, however, have on closed-toed shoes.

Sending love to you all,
-Deborah

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Amy Williams Opheim

John Sosoka III

Pete Skeggs

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John Sosoka III

Thank you Deborah so much for the kind words & anecdotes. I really appreciate you taking the time to track... Read more Thank you Deborah so much for the kind words & anecdotes. I really appreciate you taking the time to track down photos to upload... Read more Thank you Deborah so much for the kind words & anecdotes.... Read more

Deborah Levy

2003, Neurosmith

I’m on the left, then Erica Covarrubias, Raul, and Brooke, on the last day of us all working together, displaying some of the products that never got to see the full light of day. While there was so much more we could have done, we did SO much that influenced the educational toy industry in the best way.

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Amy Williams Opheim

John Sosoka III

Allen Alley

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Deborah Levy

2003, Neurosmith

This is the last day that Neurosmith was fully operational, so we celebrated as a team the truly amazing accomplishments that the the little company that could, did. John’s brilliance and creativity live on in the incredible products Neurosmith (among other companies) created. I could not be more proud of the toys we created and was blown away every.single.day by the way that John’s mind worked and the ideas he came up with.

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Amy Williams Opheim

John Sosoka III

Allen Alley

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Deborah Levy

2003, Long Beach

Even though John is not in this photo, I share it because it’s my husband and son together on John’s sailboat. This was such a memorable expedition for my family - my son’s first time on the open seas! John’s generosity and spirit of adventure were legendary of course. We had the most amazing afternoon together on the beautiful boat.

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John Sosoka III

Allen Alley

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John "Rick" Richard Sosoka, II

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