Dear community and friends,
I thought it might be a good idea for us all to gather our thoughts, memories and stories of Shubhra and what he meant to us in one place.
Please add your contribution below via a pull request.
Also, please consider donating to: https://www.gofundme.com/f/shubhra-kar-memorial-fund
I had the honor of working with Shubhra on a variety of LFX initiatives and projects.
I admired his passion in all his work and sense of committment to the LF and open source community.
Also, I respected him so much for his drive and support of his team, growing them and taking care of them, even across organizations.
You will be missed, rest in peace.
Shubhra was a one-of-a-kind.
I had the pleasure of working with him throughout his time at the Linux Foundation, as he designed and built LFX. Most of our discussions were around filling in the gaps of what communities needed in LFX, and then providing feedback on what the team built.
He was remarkable, not just in his kindness and approachability, but also in the way he always made time for people. It was incredible: he would often respond within minutes, excited to hop on a call to chat, learn, and explore building great things.
His true magic though was kindness and culture.
Everyone loved working with him. He was not just enthusiastic, but he was excited about other people's success. I have rarely seen anyone in my career build a team so devoted to each other and their work. His team didn't just like working with him, they genuinely loved him...as we all did and continue to do.
I already really miss him, and I feel so fortunate that I was able to get to know him.
But in my mind, he isn't really gone. We all meet people who are not just a person, but they are an unstoppable energy, and that energy was injected into all of us. I have no doubt we will all take Shubhra's passion and kindness and pay it forward in our own worlds. And for that, I will always be thankful to him.
Shubhra brought so much positivity, energy and optimism to his work at the Linux Foundation. His excitement and pride over the team's work was palpable and absolutely justified - the team has built a powerful platform to support the open source community.
I'm so grateful for Shubhra's leadership, positive energy and friendship he brought to the LF and everyone around him.
You will be dearly missed, Shubhra, but your legacy will live on at the LF and beyond.
We first met in 2018 on KubeCon. He was a great man, always kind, always helpful.
He had a great vision a a lot of plans regarding our new LFX product.
I will remember him as a great man, mentor, collegue.
I will also remember his last stage performance and then the shock that he passed away just minutes later.
Rest in peace my dear friend.
I first met Shubhra Kar when he was the Node.js Foundation marketing committee chair. There were some challenges in the community at that time, but he was always one of the great people to work with. He always had a positive take on everything. He'd consistently say, "well I'm not really a marketing person, but [some idea] seems lke a path no one could get upset about". Years later he joined the LF to lead our development work and he had hand picked the best engineering team with people he wanted to work with - and he was in his zone. LFX was a complex undertaking, built to support very different communities, wildly different expectations, but Shubhra powered through any hurdles. He smiled through the process because each hurdle was a new, interesting engineering challenge he would get to work on with the amazing team he had built up around him.
Every technical community that started using LFX and loved it brought a huge smile to his face. Nothing made him happier than getting to build something people liked, and his smile was always wider because he built a team around him that he loved working with. Every new hire, he would say to me, “wait until you meet this amazing engineer I hired - going to knock your socks off”. He often would joke with me and others, “and the only reason we found this issue out is because ... people are actually using it” and then he'd be smiling wide.
Shubhra treated his team like a community - they could all go work somewhere else for more money in a minute - but what kept him here was being able to work with colleagues he wanted to work with, many of whom became close friends, and many still, like a family. And that’s what makes his passing so much more difficult. Shubhra wasn’t just a great engineer, he wasn’t just a great manager, he wasn’t just a team leader, and he wasn't just a great human being. He was a friend, and in many cases you’ll hear people say he was “like a brother”. Shubhra Kar will absolutely be missed, but the amazing work he did will live on through the family he’s built up within the LF. Rest In Peace Shubhra; we will miss you dearly and we thank you for the time you chose to spend with us.
Shubhra was a true leader; his support, positivity and passion lead us to always be motivated and enjoying the hard work. I was fortunate to work with him and to learn from him, but it is unfortunate to be for short time. Sharing some of Shubhra words that will keep lighting every step forward:
- "Confidence is the key".
- "Think values not features".
- "Life is short, go and do your passion and I will understand".
- "Be transparent with the community".
- "Let us make it right".
- "Think of all the possibilities"
Shubhra was the father of the LFX and always will be, he is gone but not forgotten, may his soul rest in peace, and may my lord make it easier for his family and friends to pass through this big lose.
I met Shubra a few years ago when he joined the LF to lead the visionary work of creating LFX. This was a big vision to make foundation as a service a reality, so that communities, members and LF staff could scale and manage foundations. Shubra had the passion, vision, smarts and leadership to be the one to lead us in this area. I enjoyed how enthusiastically he described the work his team was doing to the board and despite naysayers or headwinds, he and his team kept getting work done. I know I join many of his teammates, friends and family who will dearly miss him. He was taken too soon. We need to honor his work by continuing what he started. Goodbye my friend.
Shubhra was our beloved leader and visionary for the LFX platform. Always positive, supportive, and encouraging throughout my time developing the EasyCLA and LFX Security products. He always had time for me, always had a solution for me, and always provided the calming voice of reason to our teams. I remember so many times when I thought the product and team were so far behind, drowning with problems, and so many technical difficulties only to come out of a meeting with a fresh sense of purpose and focus. He had a magical way of bringing people together, incredibly talented people, with a common focus which was absolutely required (yet extremely difficult) for large teams. This seemed easy for him - he was a true natural. Everyone loved him, top to bottom, vendor, contractor, direct reports - absolutely everyone. We will miss your smiling face, sense of purpose, drive, and ambition. Rest In Peace, my friend.
Shubhra, you are the most energetic person I have ever met in my life. You gave everyone of us, your time despite your own busy schedule. Anybody could look into your calendar, book a slot and there you were. There was nothing that was impossible in your dictionary. You taught me so much about Open Source, the LF and LFX Products. You taught me what passion really looks like. I don't know what life would look like without meeting you almost daily. Thank you for who you were Shubhra. I will miss your smiling face, energy, that can solve anything attitude and the human being who was just so relatable. It felt you were one amongst us, just like us, just so human. You bossed every challenge. You are loved. You live in our hearts. Rest in Peace smily.
I met Shubhra 3+ years ago when I joined LF. Launching Mentorship initiative at LF would not have been possible without Shubhra's vision for the LFX Mentorship platform and other LFX tools. Shubhra had the passion, vision, and the smarts. He was a pleasure to work and collaborate with. He was a larger than life figure with outsized influence on everything he touched. He brought his enthusiam and passion to work everyday. He welcomed feedback on the platform with a smile and optimism. Shubhra, you will be missed dearly by all of us at the LF.
The brightest, friendliest smile in the room was always yours. While our paths only intersected for a brief time, I can say it was truly an honor to work with you. You were the kind of leader and friend who would pull me aside to offer perspectives that could accelerate a plan forward or help us avoid stepping into a hole that might set us back. While your ambitions were strong, your approach was never self-centered nor were you ever one to brag of your personal accomplishments. You embodied team spirit - always willing to lend a hand, put in an extra effort, give credit to others, and seek opportunities that would enable others around you to shine. We don’t come across leaders like you everyday.
My heart goes out to your wife, children, family and friends in these difficult times ahead. Your spirit remains with all of us. Rest In Peace, my friend.
Shubhra embodied the principles of the Linux Foundation in being humble, helpful, and hopeful with every facet of his being. He was a gentle soul who will be sorely missed by so many of his colleagues. Thank you to the Kar family who supported him in his work to make the LF and open source better. Our hearts are with you.
If you were lucky enough to work with Shubhra Kar you’ll understand the deep sentiment others have for him. I met Shubhra when he was interviewing at the Linux Foundation Presidio offices in San Francisco back in 2018. Luckily for us the IT department was folded into the overall product team and under his leadership shortly after he arrived. As he came from an operations background he was quick to identify the merits of closely integrating development work with the operational side. A lot of people talk about DevOps but not everyone really does this - he was exceptional in that regard and he was notably successful at it too.
As a manager and leader he ticked all of the important traits: bold, ambitious, available, intelligent, etc. He had clear and obvious technical chops and a vision for how things should go, and more importantly the confidence to get there. But for me, and above all else, he was probably the best listener I’ve had the good fortune to work for. Many managers and leaders lay claim to this ability but he really was naturally good at it and as a result you just tried harder. Even if there was disagreement you always felt “heard”, alignment would happen and corrections would be made, and everyone came out feeling right about the way forward.
As a colleague and a friend we spoke often about non work things, his life in India, the history of that part of the world, and our shared travels and experiences there. He was a fellow motorcyclist, not having ridden in many years but still fond of his days riding his Royal Enfield himalayan. He was remarkable man, a gentle soul, an inspiring leader and we’re all better off having the good fortune to be a part of his story. I extend my sincere condolences to his family and we will miss him dearly. May God bless his soul and may he forever rest in peace.
I was shocked to hear about Shubhra's untimely demise. Shubhra was a good mentor and a friend. He had very high EQ and I will always cherish my time spent with him. I pray to God to give strength to Kar family to overcome this tragedy. ॐ त्र्य॑म्बकं यजामहे सु॒गन्धिं॑ पुष्टि॒वर्ध॑नम् । उ॒र्वा॒रु॒कमि॑व॒ बन्ध॑नान् मृ॒त्योर्मु॑क्षीय॒ माऽमृता॑॑त् ।। om, tryambakaṁ yajāmahe sugandhiṁ puṣṭi-vardhanam urvā-rukamiva bandhanān mṛtyor-mukṣīya mā'mṛtāt I meditate on, and surrender myself to, the Divine Being who embodies the power of will, the power of knowledge, and the power of action. I pray to the Divine Being who manifests in the form of fragrance in the flower of life and is the eternal nourisher of the plant of life. Like a skillful gardener, may the Lord of Life disentangle me from the binding forces of my physical, psychological, and spiritual foes. May the Lord of Immortality residing within free me from death, decay, and sickness and unite me with immortality.
Shubhra was truly an inspirational human. His leadership and most importantly care for every single member of his team, regardless of their status, is something I will never forget. He made us all feel heard and appreciated anytime we spoke to him. It almost felt like his eternal goal was to lift up his team — always bringing them into the light when giving credit for the amazing work being done, for a community he loved.
I take solace in remembering the last memory I have was of him being so happy and joyful, surrounded by a group of people that truly adored him.
Rest In Peace, Shubhra.
Shubhra was already a force of nature when he brought his incredible enthusiasm to the Wily Technology / CA team. I remember his boundless energy which could bowl over a colleague or customer. Later when I was building StrongLoop and needed help with navigating the chaos of the Node.js community, Shubhra's well of passion came to mind. He wanted to start a company but somehow I convinced him to join ours instead. As this journey progressed and we helped form the Node Foundation with LF and the greater community, Shubhra's ability to bring people together and tireless commitment to finding common ground would be an asset to everyone who worked with him. It felt like a natural progression when he would ultimately join the Linux Foundation and take on roles of increasing responsibility serving open source communities. I know many of us from these "past lives" of Shubhra were proud of him and his continued impact.
Our team was sharing memories this week and something we all remember was what a devoted chef he was. I like to think of him in this light: Offering extravagant nourishment to his colleagues and friends with that same boundless enthusiasm so many experienced in their professional interactions. Here he is cooking Dum Biryani for us at one of the quarterly in-person get-togethers in 2014.
We miss you Shubhra.
First and foremost, Shubhra was a dear friend of mine. He tirelessly devoted himself to helping others and I was lucky to be have been a recipient of his generosity and kindness. He brought inspiration, encouragement, hope and even levity - when you most needed it. His outlook on life made a profound an impression on me to always look at the "whole big picture" in the most challenging circumstances and the most satisfying pinnacles of achievement. He would always grin with that glimmer in his eye and say to me "this is only the beginning" when we achieved our first signs of success and that was always what I needed to push forward.
Shubhra was my trusted business advisor, comrade in arms in product and marketing, and an unfailingly reliable person I could turn to "just get sh^t done" in the workplace. His work ethic and output on deliverables and productivity never ceased to me amaze me. He was a rare person who could not just paint a vision and come up with a strategy - he operationally could carry out execution. So often have I encountered smart people with the former - but completely lacking the latter. Shubhra was the rare embodiment of excellence on both sides of the entrepreneurial coin and it's no wonder he achieved so much in his professional career. "It's like what they say, Al...", he would tell me, "... a vision without execution is just a vision."
Shubhra, I remember our last time together, having a delightful lunch in Hayward eating Mediterranean food with you, like it was yesterday. Little did I realize that I would look back on your home cooked Biryani and count it as one of my personal blessings for something you did for all of us. It was so "Shubhra". You put everything into what you did personally, professionally and always... always wholly.
Rest in peace, my dear friend.
I had the pleasure of getting to know Shubhra at our first off-site meeting at McMenamins Edgefield. After a day of meetings, I immediately appreciated Shubhra’s experience in the operations role. Next our group went to dinner, and we talked about family, past work experiences and how excited we were about the challenges at the LF. By the late evening we were playing pool and talking about his childhood playing Carrom. Within these few hours together I felt our friendship had already formed.
Shubhra was not just a colleague but a friend to all of us. His laugh and smile could defuse even the most tense conversation. Shubhra always made time to listen and understand before taking action.
His attitude was optimistic and forward looking, but also realistic. He used these qualities to show us he believed in us; he elevated the people around him. We could accomplish great things as long as we didn’t give up and kept our focus on the small wins. Don’t boil the ocean. He knew each small action we took was a step toward the end goal: building the LFX Platform into a world class experience for open source projects.
Shubhra’s legacy will live on in his family, his friends, and our work at the Linux Foundation. God bless his soul and may he Rest In Peace.
I knew Shubhra from his role leading products and engineering at the Linux Foundation, most recently in the role of CTO and GM of Products. As I read the comments above, many of them resinate with me as well regarding his professionalism, kindness, and hopefulness. It's a tough role he was in, where many have stumbled before, but one where he recognized that making others successful made everyone successful. I personally saw that in many of my interactions, where he would be encourgaing and appreciative of my support of his team. He had a hard row to hoe for sure, but one he was steadfast in and saw the end as a victory for all of us more than his own.
My deepest condolances to his family, his friends, and all his collegues here at the Linux Foundation. Losing someone so suddenly is a shock to us all, but the spirit of him lives on with all of us. I am grateful I had the opporunity to know him.
Despite I only had the pleasure to interact with him for two years, Shubhra's gracious leadership style is something that will stay with me forever: he was an insipiration for all of us. Shubhra had the unique gift of respond with kindness to whatever complex request or criticism, whether constructive or not. Shubhra was always fair and willing to listen, so it didn't take much for us at FINOS and his team to bond in a very unique and special way.
My last interaction with him was just one hour before the tragedy, while waiting in line for mexican food, and we jokingly compared notes on the different styles Italians and Indians haveof cutting in line. I will never forget how, even in the most stressful situation, Shubhra had a natural way of making things light, a gift I truly admire.
I miss you my friend and know we will be carrying your legacy, both in terms of the products you led as well as the positive and friendly attitude you had in every single interaction. My deepest condolences to his family in this unimaginably rough time 💔
Shubhra took on the impossible with a passion, an infectious optimism and a wonderful sense of humor and humility. My words fail so I'll reach for Andy Williams:
To fight for the right Without question or pause, To be willing to march Into hell for a heavenly cause. And I know if I'll only be true To this glorious quest That my heart will lie peaceful and calm When I'm laid to my rest
And the world will be better for this And one man, sore and covered with scars Still strove with his last ounce of courage To fight the unbeatable foe To reach the unreachable star