Remembering David: A Special Colleague

Today, I learned of the sad news that one of my former colleagues and friend, David Xiao, passed away. David and I worked together at both Broadcom and Amazon, and he was a valued colleague.

We first met in 2006 at Broadcom, where David was a respected engineer and the team's go-to person for security and Linux kernel expertise. He was a quiet and intelligent individual who was always kind and pleasant to work with, even when we had disagreements. We had many stimulating technical discussions, and his extensive knowledge enriched these conversations. Our paths crossed again at Amazon for a little over a year, before we ventured down different paths in 2015. He went on to become a founding engineer at a startup, which was eventually acquired in 2019.

The few times we delved into personal matters, it was evident how proud he was of his family, especially his wife, who studied at Stanford. We connected over our children of similar ages, sharing stories about parental support and the challenges of choosing schools and locations. When they wanted to buy a  home, David expressed his fondness for Palo Alto, where his family had grown attached.

Two years ago, David reached out to me as he was considering a career change. While a potential opportunity for us to collaborate didn't materialize, we planned to reconnect for lunch when circumstances allowed. I regret not following through on that plan.

David's sudden passing leaves me in shock, and I can only imagine the immense pain his family must be enduring. To his children, if you're reading this, please know your father was an intelligent and kindhearted man who always wore a smile and held immense pride in you. May he rest in peace, and may his loved ones find comfort and support during this loss.