Heartfelt tributes have been paid to a world-renowned expert and author in the computing world following his death in Inverness.
Noah Gibbs (48) died suddenly at his home in Old Edinburgh Road on Christmas Eve.
Originally from the USA, he was a world-renowned expert of Ruby Computer Programming Language.
He leaves a wife, Kristine, and three children.
In an online tribute page Memories of Noah Gibbs, people from the Highlands and around the world have paid their respects.
While many knew him or were former colleagues and shared personal anecdotes, others had not met him but described how his work has made a huge difference.
Many spoke of his technical knowledge and kindness.
One said: “I first met Noah at the Highland Web Group and subsequently also saw him in a Ruby conference.
“Noah had a kind and generous soul; he was always eagerly sharing his knowledge with others. He was also a great teacher, rarely there is someone who can explain complex concept in such simple terms.
“He contributed to the Ruby community way beyond just technical knowledge and improvement, but also as a role model to others in the community.”
Another, who described his passing as a “deep tragedy”, posted: “I met Noah many times in Inverness at networking events and we volunteered together at a hackathon event.
“His warmth and interest in others was incredibly compelling. He clearly had a towering intellect but he never made anyone feel small, even while he pointed out things they’d missed or mistakes they’d made – it was always clearly to help them grow.”
A software developer from the Philippines. who did not know Noah personally, spoke of how they had always regarded him as a veteran in the industry and a great educator and posted: “From my perspective, Noah is such a huge loss, not only in the software industry in general, but also specifically to learners like me on the other side of the world who look up to him.”
One person recalled he had left a positive lasting impression after meeting him at a conference in New Orleans in 2017.
“I was just starting my career and didn’t personally know anyone at the conference,” the post stated.
“At a party at the aquarium, I grabbed a dinner plate and looked for a place to sit and Noah invited me to sit with him.
“He was extremely kind, intelligent, and easy to talk with.”
Another recalled meeting him briefly at Brighton Ruby and Haggis Ruby conferences, posting: “He was always so generous with his wealth of knowledge, and also a very good human.
“His book Rebuilding Rails taught me so much about the framework that I’ve built a career around over the past ten years!”
One person wrote: “Noah lived a life of teaching, mentorship, and welcome.
“He was a kind man, he was loved, and he made a difference in an entire generation of Ruby programmers who came to find acceptance through the community in no small part from his contributions to it.”
His funeral service will be on Tuesday January, 14 at 3pm, in the funeral home of William T. Fraser and Son, Culduthel Road, Inverness. All are welcome to attend.
The service will also be livestreamed.