Apple Co-Founder Steve Jobs Dies at 56 From Pancreatic Cancer

RIP

Apple co-founder and technology visionary, Steve Jobs, died Wednesday, October 5th, at the age of 56, after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Jobs is survived by his wife, Laurene, and their four children.

In 2004, Steve Jobs had disclosed to his employees that he had been diagnosed with a cancerous tumor in his pancreas, though he continued to forge ahead. The past seven years were some of the most prolific of Jobs’ professional life, with Apple introducing the iPhone and iPad to the market.

In August, Jobs had turned over his role as CEO of Apple to current Apple CEO, Tim Cook, and Cook officially took the reigns at a press conference this past Tuesday when he announced the newest iPhone 4S to the media.

Apple put out an official statement about Steve Jobs death, stating, “Steve’s brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve.”

Throughout the duration of Steve Jobs’ illness, Apple investors and associates were left largely in the dark about the specifics of Jobs’ health condition. As Reuters states, “In past years, even board members have confided to friends their concern that Jobs, in his quest for privacy, wasn’t being forthcoming enough with directors about the true condition of his health.”

Though current Apple, Inc. CEO Tim Cook is proving to be a competent force in the Apple organization, there will never be another create and visionary force quite like Steve Jobs, whose iPhone, iPod and iPad have made an indelible mark on how we experience music, search for information and communicate with one another.

In describing Steve Jobs’ appeal, Wikipedia quotes that “[Jobs']aim to develop products that are both functional and elegant earned him a devoted following.”

Steve Jobs (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011)