In the midst of our heads-down work and of the goodness in advancing the cause of innovation in critical democracy infrastructure, we pause. 

On December 14th, our Chief Technology officer, John Sebes's Father, Dr. Jeno Sebes, passed away in Memphis, TN. Below is the obituary (courtesy of Barbara Coll, John's wife) that will be published in the paper tomorrow. Dr. Sebes's contributions were remarkable, especially given that he was a refugee from Hungary in the mid-50s and arrived in Michigan in the middle of winter with almost no money and certainly very little English. Please keep John and the family in your thoughts and prayers this holiday season.

On the way to reading that obituary, I'd ask you to take 4:16 to view this short video essay; it seems apt today.

Dr. Jeno Imre Sebes was born May 14, 1935 in Pecs, Hungary to Ede Sebes and Terez Domse Sebes. Dr. Sebes passed away on December 14, 2015. He was a refugee from Hungary and immigrated to Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1957. He was educated at Janus Pannonius High School, University of Pecs, University of Michigan, and Southwestern at Memphis. He earned his medical degree in 1967 from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine. Dr. Sebes was a Professor at University of Tennessee from 1972 to 2002 and Professor Emeritus thereafter. Dr. Sebes taught generations of medical students, residents and fellows as a distinguished faculty member sub-specializing in bone and joint radiology.

He held hospital positions at the Veteran Administration Medical Center, University of Tennessee Hospital, and Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. Dr. Sebes was a well-respected radiologist and instrumental in methods of early detection of breast cancer. He served as president of Society of Skeletal Radiology, Presiding Officer of the Radiological Society of North America, and as Faculty of the National and International Interventional Skeletal Society. With Alfred Kraus Sr. he was a founding member of the NIH-funded Kraus-Diggs Sickle Cell Research Center.

He was married to Bette Lawrence Bondurant at Grace-St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Memphis, TN. They had two children; Edward John Sebes and Amy Lawrence Sebes. He is survived by his children; three grandchildren, James Carleton Coll Sebes, Bette Sebes Vajda, and Emmie Sebes Vajda; sisters Edith Melczer and Mari Gombos, and numerous beloved nieces and nephews.

Services are scheduled for Saturday, December 19th, 2 pm, Grace-St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. The family requests that memorials be made to the Association of Albanian Girls and Women, www.aagw.org or 6240 Mumbai Pl., Dulles, VA 20189, an organization to assist trafficking victims founded by his daughter.