Dan Williams, a beloved Linux kernel contributor, passed away unexpectedly on July 21. A computer scientist specializing in storage, persistent memory, filesystems, and trusted computing, Dan made foundational contributions including DAX support for persistent memory devices and the introduction of Compute Express Link (CXL) technology. He served as a member and chairman of the Linux Foundation Technical Advisory Board, where he shaped the Code of Conduct, the Kernel Contribution Maturity model, and Inclusive Terminology documentation. Beyond his technical work, he was known for his kindness, humor, mentorship of minorities in the kernel community, and his passion for competitive Latin ballroom dancing. He is survived by his wife Catherine and their three children.
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