H. Patrick "Pat" Mannix

With great sadness we are informing you that H. Patrick "Pat" Mannix ("Pat" as we all knew him) passed away after a seven -year long battle with cancer. He had volunteered with XPS as a fulltime technology expert, helping us buy our first computer and setting it up to develop and maintain the world's first website dedicated to information and support about XP, developing the first interactive site for families to "gather" online through the XP Connection, coordinated and compiled each newsletter for distribution, read, studied and queried all UV-related data to make it understandable for the average person.

No Camp Sundown occurred without Pat's direct involvement either. Whether ferrying families from train stations to camp, taking the immortal photos that captured the fun on faces, presenting workshops to enlighten parents on UV detection and protection. He was ever present as he greeted families from all over the world and spoke on the level of our experts on hand. Pat always wore his camera, xps baseball cap and a welcoming smile.

Pat retired from IBM management to share his gifts with the XP Society for over eleven years. A diplomat of a more graceful era who always believed the good in everyone and everything. We named our youngest son Patrick after him and have enjoyed a very full and happy friendship with Pat and his lovely wife Karin. We will never forget the many birthday parties, campfire gatherings, christenings and picnics we came to enjoy together.

We thank Pat's family for thinking of XPS at this very sad time in their own lives as they request that friends and family can make a donation in Pat's memory to XPS if they desire.

Pat made the XP Society an international authority for XP family support and information so that parents and caregivers would have the tools to make intelligent decisions in the caregiving of their xp family members. In his dedication to XP children, Pat sought out the experts in fields of ultraviolet radiation, detection and protection. His technical experience and attention to detail created the original and widely copied data that he so freely shared for XP families to use.

We say good-bye to a leader, educator, mentor and friend.

Caren and Dan Mahar.