Concord's Lar Kaufman Dies at 64: Best-Selling Author Was Airplane Tech, Passed Bar Exam

The following is from Dee Funeral Home:

Lar Kaufman of Concord, MA died August 6, 2014 in Burlington, MA.

Born July 7, 1950 in Vidor, Texas. Son of Lorenz Ursos Carlos Kaufman and Ina Grace Partain Kaufman, both deceased. Loving husband and best friend of Lynne M. Schmelz of Concord, MA.

Lar was an intellectual and a life-long learner, with a creative mind and diverse interests, skills, and hobbies. He was a voracious reader starting from an early age when his mother taught him to read with National Geographic magazines in Kwigillingok, a small Yupik village in Southwest Alaska where his parents were teachers for the U. S. Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Lar always had new thoughts and ideas, and many projects in the works. He had a broad range of knowledge, and could actively engage in conversation on almost any topic. He either already knew the answer to any question posed, or would do the research to ascertain one.

Lar had several careers. After graduating from a small high school in Sharyland, Texas, he studied psychology and biology at the University of Texas, Austin. He later received a BLS in communication and biology from St. Edward’s University, Austin, TX. Lar also completed the Aviation Maintenance Technology Program at Clover Park Technical College, in Lakewood, WA and received FAA airman certifications as Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic (A&P). He loved aviation, and worked to maintain airplanes in both Alaska and Texas. He developed expertise in airframe structural repair and modification; electromechanical, pneumatic and hydraulic system prototyping and fabrication; and became experienced in quality assurance, production planning, maintenance training, and managing and documenting FAA-regulated operations. He served as a QA supervisor, lead-inspector, and director of quality and methods for Emerald Airline, an international air carrier.

Lar started using computers when personal computing first became available, and then he transitioned to technical consulting and writing. Beginning in 1981, he worked by contract with various companies, consulting on documentation systems design, technical writing, and editing. His three decades of technical writing experience emphasized development and use of accessible structured electronic documentation systems, programming languages, sys-tem and network administration, aviation manufacturing and QA, and air carrier maintenance and operations. His extensive experience included writing reference manuals for professional software developers and system and network administrators, documenting programming languages, scripting languages and APIs, network protocols, operating systems, and administrative tools for computer systems and networks.

Lar worked for O’Reilly Media in Cambridge, MA for four years as Publication Tools Specialist and Digital Media Editor. He developed the SGML-based structured digital documentation standards and initiated a digital archive of all O’Reilly publications. As an author under contract to O’Reilly, Lar co-authored Running Linux (1st ed. 1995, through 4th ed.). He was proud that this book was translated into many different languages, and it is still the best selling book on Linux.

To fullfill a life-long dream, Lar studied at Boston University School of Law and received a JD in 1999. His course concentrations incuded intellectual property and client counseling and negotiation. He was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar in 1999, and was a member of the Massachusettes Bar Association, the Board of Bar Overseers, and the American Bar Association.

Lar worked at Harvard University from 2006-2009 in the Ernst Mayr Library of the Museum of Comparative Zoology and the John F. Kennedy School of Government Library.

Lar was observant and caring with our family, and had a significant impact on each of us. He was always present, supportive, loving, non-judgmental, and made sure we were all okay. He introduced us to a range of new music, the real Texas barbeque, the wonderful world of intelligent parrots, and the reliability and fun of foreign cars. He taught us how to use and build computers, and shared his love of literature, from James Thurber, to John McPhee, to myriad mystery writers, as well as a wide range of research in the sciences. He had a wonderful, ironic sense of humor, and made us laugh. He encouraged us to build new skills, embrace opportunities, and enjoy life. He made all of our lives better. His loss was tragic and unexpected, and he is greatly missed.

Immediate surviving family include: wife, Lynne Schmelz; daughter, Meghan Keil; son, Andrew Keil; brothers: Kirvin and wife Toni Kaufman of Houston, TX; Kim and wife Judy Kaufman of Austin, TX; Burt and wife Terry Kaufman and Jan Kaufman of Austin, TX; Colin and wife Sharon Kaufman of Corpus Christi, TX; and Sigfrid Kaufman of Kwigillingok, AK; sisters: Vamori Burgheim of Anchorage, AK and Melissa Kaufman Blanchard of Sherwood, OR; and nieces and nephews in Texas, Colorado, and Wisconsin. Deceased siblings include: Klonda Kaufman, D. David Kaufman, Ethan Kaufman, and Kansa Kaufman.

The memorial service for Lar will be held at Trinity Episcopal Church, 81 Elm Street, Concord, MA, at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 21. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Nature Conservancy, www.Nature.org. Arrangements under the care of Dee Funeral Home of Concord, Susan M. Dee and Charles W. Dee, Jr., Funeral Directors.

To share a remembrance in the online guest book, please visit www.deefuneralhome.com.