Farewell Steve — and thank you for everything.
It’s a huge loss for the world. Steve was a great and respected person. I truly appreciate how you changed the world. RIP.
Steve was always able to articulate the words I was unable to formulate myself.
He lead with graceful expertise. He was a role model, and the kind of leader I will forever strive to be. His tactful whit could disarm even the most heated adversary.
Steve was precisely the type of person the open source community needs more of. Steve corrected with patience and civility.
Plus that man knew way too much about voting systems.
I only knew you briefly, but I will carry with me your lessons forever. Rest in peace.
Debian have posted about this loss.
https://www.debian.org/News/2025/20250117
It briefly mentions the FLOSS contributions of Steve prior becoming a Debian developer on 14 January 2001, some of his work in the Debian project covering more than twenty years including the mentoring of others, and includes numerous other Debian contributors thoughts and memories of interactions with Steve.
Steve’s email signature was a consistent reminder of his own dedication to Free Software:
“Give me a lever long enough and a Free OS to set it on, and I can move the world. - Steve Langasek”
Rest in Peace!! People need to know more about such great and humble humans.
The statement:-
You may have never known his name, but if you’ve used, you owe him a debt of gratitude.
How sad about this
It’s good for him to be remain inspiration forever, he’ll be missed.
It’s understandable how sad or heart breaking to see people dying.
I lost my black cat back in 2022.
It was also sad, and it has been 3 years since that happened.
I had the privilege of meeting Steve Langasek early in my journey as an Ubuntu contributor. At that time, Steve was a dedicated Canonical employee and a passionate advocate for open-source software, particularly within the Ubuntu and Debian communities. He generously taught me the intricacies of packaging for both platforms, and we collaborated on transitioning Ubuntu to multiarch support. Additionally, I had the pleasure of volunteering alongside Steve and other Debian contributors to bring DebConf to Portland—a truly enjoyable experience.
Beyond our collaborations, I witnessed Steve mentor countless individuals through the Ubuntu Oregon LoCo. He played a pivotal role in a mentorship program I established to introduce students from Oregon State University and Western Oregon University’s Computer Information Systems programs to open-source contributions.
Steve was an exceptional human being, and knowing him was a true privilege. His recent passing deeply saddens me, and I extend my heartfelt condolences to his wife, family, and his many friends both locally and internationally. 
See you on the other side Steve!
— Benjamin Kerensa
Wow, he was younger than four of my six kids.