Obituary of Robert S. Krzaczek

Robert "Bob" Sterling Krzaczek, born March 4, 1968, left this world on October 8, 2020.

He is survived by his beloved partner, Sarafina Kain; family, Brent, Allanah and Brody Armstrong; close friends, Mike, Ruth Anne, Jaden and Brooke Shanzer, Chris, Tina and Rogan Pallace and Kris Dreessen; and his constant cat companion, Seg.

Bob is remembered by the many people he befriended and earned the respect of through his many diverse passions: astronomy, computers, well-written code, solving data problems, unusual fonts, amateur study of both human and pet psychoses, photography, roller derby, graveyards, sushi and especially alternative, goth and punk music. The diversity of his interests and friends is part of what makes Bob so challenging to summarize. He was a unique dichotomy of intelligence, thoughtfulness, skepticism mixed with idealism, support for radical change to a failing system, humor and virtue. Everyone who knew him describes him as loyal, kind, witty, endlessly curious, a natural teacher and ridiculously smart. He was understated, often surprising people when they discovered the incredibly diverse facets of his life.

Bob studied computer science at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in Rochester, New York, where he met his mentors and friends in the Computer Science House, many of whom have been part of his chosen family for over 30 years.

An award-winning system designer, Bob worked at RIT for 23 years, most notably for 10 years as the Lead System Designer and Software Team Leader for the Live Airborne Disaster Ground Mapping Platform, creating and implementing on-board software. It allowed the U.S. Forest Service and other agencies to fly over areas and detect forest fires in real-time. It was successfully deployed by the RIT team during Montana fires and, using a unique algorithm for the mission, to help response teams find survivors after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, as well as other natural disasters.

For 17 years Bob was also the Principal Investigator representing RIT on NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), supporting their enormous amounts of data from astronomical observations. His life-long enthusiasm for the wonders of space and academic purity was inspirational to everyone around him.

In the past several years, Bob was an entrepreneur, building a handheld portable heart monitor, and worked as a Senior Software Developer at Critical Start, a cybersecurity integration startup company.

Science, education and the pursuit of knowledge were not just a part of Bob's job, they were essential principles of his life. Bob developed many projects on his own, all with the goal of helping others better their lives through technology.

As a writer with an extremely comprehensive vocabulary, he published papers in multiple research publications regarding the study and advancement of storing, managing and utilizing "big data" such as the immense amount of data collected by NASA. He presented at international and national conferences in his field.

He was a photographer with an eye for the perfect action shot. He began seriously developing his photography skills as a long-time, supporting member of Roc City Roller Derby, eventually becoming a league photographer for them. From there he expanded his interest in photography to portrait photography, concert photos and documenting various other moments in time.

The past few years of Bob's life were met with many obstacles and challenges that he faced head on and without fear. His strength, his consistent voice for the voiceless, his perseverance and his desire to give his all to ensure those he loved knew they were loved are what make him unforgettable and his loss so tragic. He gave us many gifts and much laughter throughout his life — encouraging those around him to never give up and make the most of our time on this planet. We wish him peace, love and a really great view of all the different universes. Or a chance to lead the zombie apocalypse, which he might like just as much.

At this time, an Imaging Science scholarship is being finalized in Bob's name at Rochester Institution of Technology. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to establish this scholarship. Please email boba-scholarship@foobar.com for further information.

A memorial event will be scheduled in spring once the pandemic restrictions ease, so that as many of Bob's friends and family from around the United States and Canada can attend as possible.