Update: There’s a small private funeral for Jobs today, followed by a memorial for Apple’s staff, according to reports.
Apple still hasn’t released any details about Steve Jobs’ funeral. It’s likely to be a small private affair, in Steve Jobs’ style.
But the outpouring of tributes at Apple’s retail stores shows the need for a public memorial. And someone like Tim Cook needs to take the reins to arrange it.
All over the world, Apple fans are laying wreaths, candles and written tributes at Apple’s Stores. The outpouring of grief is unusual for any public figure, and is unprecedented for a business leader.
But Jobs was always much more than just a business leader. He’s a cultural figure; and a cultural figure of massive import. Not many people get to change the world. But Jobs did, and several times.
He also captured our hearts. There’s a lot of affection for Steve Jobs, even love. Just look over the tributes here on the site and many others. Over the last few days, hundreds of readers have expressed profound grief over his passing.
Someone of Jobs stature should not be laid to rest quietly and privately. There’s a public need to recognize his extraordinary accomplishments.
It need not be a gaudy affair. It could be dignified and respectful, with eulogies and tributes from friends, colleagues and family.
I would be very moved to see Bill Gates, Larry Ellison, Bono and other public figures deliver memorials.
Who would arrange it? I can’t imagine Apple’s PR dept. could manage it (I sent the PR dept an email, but haven’t heard back). Perhaps his widow, Laurene Powell Jobs, is working on something. To me, the best candidate is Tim Cook.
I call on Tim Cook to arrange a public memorial for Steve Jobs. It could be held after a private family funeral, perhaps like Michael Jackson’s memorial in 2009.
Jobs was a very private man. He lived quietly and modestly, shunning the spotlight and public events, except when it came time to sell Apple’s latest product. In death, an exception should be made.
We have a need to express our grief. Funerals and memorials are a natural part of the grief process, and it shouldn’t be denied.
Leander Kahney is the editor and publisher of Cult of Mac.
Leander is a longtime technology reporter and the author of six acclaimed books about Apple, including two New York Times bestsellers: Jony Ive: The Genius Behind Apple’s Greatest Products and Inside Steve’s Brain, a biography of Steve Jobs.
He’s also written a top-selling biography of Apple CEO Tim Cook and authored Cult of Mac and Cult of iPod, which both won prestigious design awards. Most recently, he was co-author of Cult of Mac, 2nd Edition.
Leander has been reporting about Apple and technology for nearly 30 years.
Before founding Cult of Mac as an independent publication, Leander was news editor at Wired.com, where he was responsible for the day-to-day running of the Wired.com website. He headed up a team of six section editors, a dozen reporters and a large pool of freelancers. Together the team produced a daily digest of stories about the impact of science and technology, and won several awards, including several Webby Awards, 2X Knight-Batten Awards for Innovation in Journalism and the 2010 MIN (Magazine Industry Newsletter) award for best blog, among others.
Before being promoted to news editor, Leander was Wired.com’s senior reporter, primarily covering Apple. During that time, Leander published a ton of scoops, including the first in-depth report about the development of the iPod. Leander attended almost every keynote speech and special product launch presented by Steve Jobs, including the historic launches of the iPhone and iPad. He also reported from almost every Macworld Expo in the late ’90s and early ‘2000s, including, sadly, the last shows in Boston, San Francisco and Tokyo. His reporting for Wired.com formed the basis of the first Cult of Mac book, and subsequently this website.
Before joining Wired, Leander was a senior reporter at the legendary MacWeek, the storied and long-running weekly that documented Apple and its community in the 1980s and ’90s.
Leander has written for Wired magazine (including the Issue 16.04 cover story about Steve Jobs’ leadership at Apple, entitled Evil/Genius), Scientific American, The Guardian, The Observer, The San Francisco Chronicle and many other publications.
Leander is an expert on:
Apple and Apple history
Steve Jobs, Jony Ive, Tim Cook and Apple leadership
Apple community
iPhone and iOS
iPad and iPadOS
Mac and macOS
Apple Watch and watchOS
Apple TV and tvOS
AirPods
Leander has a postgrad diploma in artificial intelligence from the University of Aberdeen, and a BSc (Hons) in experimental psychology from the University of Sussex.
He has a diploma in journalism from the UK’s National Council for the Training of Journalists.
Leander lives in San Francisco, California, and is married with four children. He’s an avid biker and has ridden in many long-distance bike events, including California’s legendary Death Ride.
You can find out more about Leander on LinkedIn and Facebook. You can follow him on X at @lkahney or Instagram.
