Bill Atkinson, a wellspring of innovation who invented technologies and user interfaces that were foundational to the software we still use today, died Thursday of pancreatic cancer, his family announced over the weekend. He was 74.

I don’t know how many times I’ve said it, but with feeling: Fuck. Cancer.

There are dozens of wonderful remembrances of this remarkable man, including from Tim Cook and a lovely one from Joy of Tech; many are captured on MJ Tsai’s blog.

Bill Atkinson was one of the legendary names Apple fans whispered in awe.

I met Bill when he attended a DTS lab to work on his app, PhotoCard. I admit I was a bit starstruck, as were many others in that room, I’d imagine. It’s likely the DTS team learned more from him that visit than he did from us. He had with him a copy of his book, Within the Stone, a beautiful hardcover “filled with full-page close-up color photos of the colors and designs found inside polished rocks and minerals.” The book is now, sadly, out of print. Before he left the lab, he signed it: Best wishes to Apple DTS. Bill Atkinson.

Thanks for everything, Bill.