SMB Technology Network (SMBTN) President Jim Locke has died, SMBTN Founding Partner Jim Sterling has confirmed. Locke is well-known and well-respected across the small business technology industry, having built one of the SMB market’s best-known communities.
According to a note from Sterling to the SMB Technology Network community:
It is with great sadness that I am reporting that Jim Locke, President of the SMB Technology Network has passed away. We knew Jim had a seizure and was in a coma but out of respect for his family we wanted to wait and release the information once we had the details of his passing away. Jim had a vision of what the SMB community could be and worked towards that every day. He started the LASMBUG which grew to become the SMB Technology Network with more than 800 members around the world. He will be missed. Our hearts and prayers go out to his wife Marilyn and son Brian.
SMBTN will continue to operate, but we will be undergoing some restructuring in the near future. We will keep you all informed of the changes.
Jim Sterling
jsterling@sterlingnetworks.net
founding partner SMBTN.org
Locke always offered me a friendly hello and a firm handshake at channel partner conferences across North America. Out on Locke’s FaceBook page, close friends and industry peers are mourning Locke’s loss. The Nine Lives Media Inc. team extends its condolences to Locke’s family.
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Very sorry to hear this. I met Jim a couple of times and he seemed like a great guy. My thoughts are with his family.
Paul Barnett
VP-COO
Network Depot
Such a loss for the community. Jim was a guy whose reach extended far beyond his own family and business. While most are content to spend their time on efforts that benefit a small circle, Jim saw power in numbers and a way to team with other small IT providers to provide a platform that benefits everyone associated with it. A great supporter of the belief that a rising tide lifts all boats. If, as some say, the true measure of a man’s life is the impact he had on others, Jim ranks at the top. It was our pleasure to team with Jim in creating value for SMBTN members, but even moreso, just to be around him and be inspired by the commitment he had to those other than himself. Thank you, Jim – we’ll try to live up to the example you set. May you rest in peace.
Jim Locke was in the true sense of the word a Go-Giver. Jim gave to this industry without looking for awards or accolades. He gave tirelessly his time and knowledge to help others find success. Jim Locke is someone who I was proud to consider a friend.
For those who knew him and were able to interact and work with him, the loss goes beyond words.
Personally, I will miss my friend Jim, but even more, this industry will miss Jim.
Stu
Stuart Selbst Consulting
Thanks for this, Joe.
Jim was one of the true superstars of our community. We will certainly miss him.
Jim’s Memorial Service:
August 25, 2011 @ 7:00pm in the Lee Chapel
The First Church of the Nazarene of Pasadena
3700 East Sierra Madre Boulevard
Pasadena, California 91107
Phone: 626.351.9631
Rest in peace Jim…you were and still are a great man
Stuart Crawford
Jim was extremely helpful at setting up our network. We are still running the same configuration troublefree some 7 years later. He always knew the answer to our questions when we called. Jim will be missed. Best wishes and sentiments to his family.
Scott Von Luft
Custom Chemical Formulators, Inc.