Hello Friends of Cray Research. It is with heartfelt sadness and fondest remembrance that I share the passing of Michael “Mick” Dungworth, one of the truly unique leaders and members of the Cray community. Mick left us peacefully a few weeks ago, and is survived by his loving wife Sarah, his son Chris and daughter-in-law Angela and, of course, his dogs.
If you had the privilege of working with Mick, you know that his passion for the genius that Cray supercomputing brought to our lives was only surpassed by his love for the comrades and friends he encountered around the world. Mick’s brilliant mind, optimistic strength and infectious laughter were forces that inspired all around him to new levels of achievement and discovery, whether on a rugby pitch or by harnessing supercomputing to reimagine possibilities.
Mick was born in Sheffield, England and joined Cray Research in the late 1970’s. He began his 20+ year Cray career in support of client ECMWF and held a wide range of responsibilities culminating in Sr. Vice President. A truly global citizen with a deep interest and respect for myriad cultures, Mick’s own personality seemed to transcend them. Intelligence and good cheer are welcome in any language, and Mick used both to bridge borders and evangelize supercomputing. Beyond Cray’s world-class scientists and inventors, Mick embodied the bold spirit of Cray, whether he was in London or Hong Kong, Dallas or Pittsburgh, Korea or Palo Alto, Chippewa Falls or Eagan.
Mick was a wonderful storyteller, and if you had the privilege of spending any time with him, you likely have a “Mick Story” of your own. I have my share and am smiling about a few as I write this. I’ll close with one that I think captures Mick well. My wife and I were having dinner with Mick and Sarah and the “Cray Way” came up. If you don’t recall that document, it was a statement of operating philosophies intended to capture the approach the Cray Research team took to business and our supercomputing mission.
I commented that those ideas were an influencing factor for me joining Cray as a young Account Director. There was one I liked especially: “Take what you do seriously, but don’t take yourself too seriously”. Sarah immediately chimed in with “That was Mick’s!” Mick concurred, “Yes, that one was mine. Had to get that in there or the whole thing was going to be too full of itself.” Makes perfect sense; that indeed was Mick as I will always remember him. Rest in peace, great friend. You broke the mold long ago.
In Memory
The Dungworth family has asked that memorials for Mick be directed to the Chippewa Falls Museum of Industry and Technology, an all-volunteer museum focused on the history of Cray Research and supercomputing.
Donations can be made to:
Chippewa Falls Museum of Industry and Technology (CFMIT)
Attn: Cray Donations
PO Box 711
21 E Grand Ave
Chippewa Falls, WI 54729
Attn: Cray Donations
PO Box 711
21 E Grand Ave
Chippewa Falls, WI 54729
Website: cfmit