VITA Hall of Fame

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Michel Têtu, who died on April 8, 2026, at the age of 81. A world-renowned scientist and Professor Emeritus at the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Université Laval, he contributed to the development of optics and photonics in Quebec and Canada, as well as to the international prominence of Université Laval. Generous and jovial, he loved to enjoy life, surrounded by those he held dear.

The VITA community and the broader critical embedded computing industry mourn the loss of Michel Tetu — a respected technologist, visionary advocate for optical interconnect innovation, and a valued contributor whose influence helped shape the future direction of high-performance embedded systems.

Michel was widely recognized for his deep expertise in photonics and optical communications, bringing decades of pioneering experience in optical technologies into the VITA standards community. Throughout his distinguished career, he championed the advancement of high-density optical solutions and helped the industry better understand the transformative role optics would play in next-generation embedded architectures.

Within VITA working groups, Michel was known as an active participant, thoughtful collaborator, and influential technical voice. He consistently encouraged the integration of advanced optical technologies into open standards efforts, helping guide discussions around higher bandwidth, reduced size and weight, improved signal integrity, and scalable architectures for demanding aerospace, defense, and industrial applications.

Michel’s ability to connect cutting-edge photonics innovation with practical embedded computing requirements made him an especially valuable contributor. His leadership and technical insight helped accelerate industry acceptance of optical interconnect technologies at a time when data-intensive systems were rapidly evolving beyond the limits of traditional electrical interfaces.

Beyond his contributions to standards development, Michel was internationally respected for his remarkable accomplishments in photonics research, education, and industrial innovation. He helped establish major optical communications research programs, co-founded photonics organizations and companies, contributed to hundreds of scientific publications, and served in leadership roles that advanced the global photonics industry. He was also recognized as a Distinguished Fellow of the VITA Standards Organization — an honor reflecting the lasting impact of his service and technical leadership.

Those who worked alongside Michel remember not only his technical excellence, but also his professionalism, generosity, and commitment to collaboration. He had a unique ability to bring people together around complex technical challenges while always maintaining focus on the long-term success of the industry and the standards community.

Michel’s legacy lives on in the standards he helped shape, the technologies he advanced, and the many engineers and industry leaders he inspired throughout his career. His work helped position VITA and its member companies for the future of high-speed, high-density embedded computing.

The VITA community extends its sincere condolences to Michel’s family, friends, colleagues, and all who had the privilege of working with him. His contributions to photonics, embedded computing, and open standards will continue to influence the industry for many years to come.

Obituary

Pete was a pioneering advocate for VITA and VMEbus, whose vision and leadership played a pivotal role in expanding the technology’s ecosystem. Through influential positions at Plessey Micro Systems and Radstone, both prominent suppliers of VMEbus products, Pete helped drive innovation and growth within the industry. His commitment continued as editor and publisher of COTS Journal, a respected magazine that informed and connected professionals in embedded computing, especially for defense applications.

Pete was deeply dedicated to advancing the embedded computing field, consistently championing new ideas and fostering collaboration. He was known for his engaging storytelling and approachable manner, as well as his integrity—always willing to offer honest feedback and ensure transparency in discussions. Pete's contributions have left a lasting mark on the industry and inspired many colleagues and peers.

His legacy endures in the vibrant community he helped build, the innovations he championed, and the countless professionals he mentored and influenced throughout his distinguished career.

Career Highlights

• Member technical team, Radio Corporation of America-AED, Hightstown, New Jersey, 1968-1975
• Marketing manager, Dataram Corporation, Princeton, New Jersey, 1976-1985
• ·Vice president marketing, Plessey Micro Systems, Pearl River, New York, 1986-1990
• President, Radstone Technology Corporation, Montvale, New Jersey, 1990-1996
• President, The Yeatman Group, Inc., Jackson, New Jersey, since 1996
• Publisher and editor, COTS Journal

Pete passed away on December 8, 2025. Obituary

Kim Rubin was the technical visionary behind GreenSpring Computers. In the late 1980s, Kim led the technical direction at GreenSpring Computers, where he designed a modular I/O concept that would become the IndustryPack® (IP) standard.

Kim’s work laid the groundwork for formal standardization. In 1994, the VITA Standards Organization (VSO) formed VITA 4, a committee to validate and clarify the IP Module specification. The result was ANSI/VITA 4-1995, which remains a recognized standard for modular I/O in embedded computing. VITA 4 was the first non-VMEbus standard to be developed under the VSO.

This innovation addressed a growing need for granular, low-cost I/O expansion in embedded systems, and by 1994, over 80 companies were building products to the IP standard. His foresight helped shift the industry from proprietary daughterboards to interoperable, open standards, enabling broader adoption and innovation.

Kim currently works as a registered patent agent, helping startups and midsized companies develop intellectual property strategies, working on technologies related to autonomous vehicles, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, and consumer electronics. He is also the founder of Elephant Timer, a rugged, simplified timing device.

Kim Rubin holds over 30 patents spanning fields including networking, image processing, autonomous systems, and wearable tech.

Principal standards participation:

• VMEbus
• VITA 4-1995 – IP Modules

Uwe Tews founded TEWS Technologies GmbH in 1973. He launched the company to design OEM-specific solutions for process and machine control applications, becoming a pioneering company in embedded I/O solutions. Uwe wasn’t just a founder – he was a technical architect who shaped TEWS Technologies’ product philosophy. His legacy in embedded systems and industrial computing is rich with innovation, precision, and long-term impact.

Uwe championed modularity early on, allowing customers to build scalable, application-specific systems with products of his design. Under his leadership, TEWS introduced a range of VMEbus I/O products in 1985, followed by IP modules in 1992, later expanding into PMC, CompactPCI, XMC, and mPCIe formats. The company became known for its high-performance computer boards used in industries like medical technology, aerospace (including the ISS), and research.

Uwe Tews is listed as an inventor on multiple patents, including a notable one for a method and apparatus for positioning components on a workpiece, which was granted in 1986. His work reflects a strong focus on precision engineering and automation, particularly in component handling and placement systems.

He retired in 2018 after decades of innovation. Uwe Tews’s career exemplifies the kind of visionary engineering that shaped modern embedded systems.

Key Patents:

• EP0144717B1 – Method and device positioning elements on a work piece

Having a passion for electronics since childhood, Joe goes back to the end of the vacuum-tube era. At 12 years old (1969), he constructed a 12AU6 based flip-flop from what he saw in a book, made from junk from a local TV store, not realizing at the time the implications it had for his future. Joe graduated from Rutgers in 1979 with a Bachelor of Arts CS/EE degree.

Joe did stints with various companies – Formation, Perkin Elmer, Concurrent computer, Honeywell, Telenex, General Signal, Texas Instruments (“firewire”) and many consulting jobs along the way. Always the inventor, Joe founded Technobox, Inc. in 1989.

About 1993, with some practical background in VMEbus design when working for Formation – he used John Rynearson’s (VITA Hall of Fame 2014) 6800 side-card from Mizar – he had a perception that Futurebus+ (IEEE 896) was the next VMEbus, and became actively involved with design, production, and marketing of 68000 based Future-Bus+ boards under the Technobox brand, making himself somewhat of a “reputation” in the VME community.

Before taking off, FutureBus+ collapsed, with everyone walking away. Joe’s company was stranded and forced to find something else; by a lucky suggestion from Wayne Fischer (VITA Hall of Fame 2014), Joe decided to try IEEE 1386 (PMC) as a Technobox business direction.

Passionately working 24/7 on PMC products, Technobox business took off in 1997.  Some of these products are still sold today in various forms. With money rolling in, he was able to hire 10 employees at Technobox’s peak.

Then XMC (VITA 42) was developed, and Joe had the expectation that XMC would naturally follow the business success of PMC. Like FutureBus, he was mistaken with that notion.  So, in approximately 2016 Joe sold off some IP/patent which brought in some money for several years. In the meantime, he was trying to find the next thing after XMC.

The industry was primed for a new, smaller mezzanine standard, leading to the formation of the VITA 93, QMC working group. At about 20% of the size of a PMC/XMC module, commensurate with contemporary component sizes, Joe saw this as the next generation of mezzanine standard 

Joe worked feverishly on this standard starting in 2022 as a VITA 93 co-chair and as a primary contributor.  His objective was to create a standard with manufacturability, simplicity, cost, and deployment across many industry standards in mind. Joe retired from Technobox in 2024.

Principal Standards Participation:

• IEEE 1386 – PMC
• VITA 42, 61, 88 – XMC
• VITA 93 – QMC

Key Patents:

• 5,313,154 – Frequency deviation between two sources
• 5,784,386 – Fault tolerant synchronous clock
• 5,796,733 – Time division switching system
• 5,805,614 – Fault tolerant switch Fabric via Hamming Codes
• 5,984,688 – IEEE 1386 PCMCIA
• 7,539,026 – Sub-mezzanine Structure for PCB assemblies

Mike spent over 40 years in the defense industry. Mike graduated from the California State University, Northridge (CSUN) in 1982 with a bachelor's degree in computer science where his specialty study area was numerical analysis. He began his career supporting anti-submarine warfare systems at the Lockheed Corporation in southern California. In 1985 he helped found Vista Controls Corporation, a pioneer in bringing commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) electronic solutions to the military. In 2000, Mike joined the MITRE Corporation, a Federally Funded Research and Development Company (FFRDC), as a Senior Technical Manager. His most notable assignment was that of Program Manager for MITRE's support to the Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS) program; in this capacity, Mike led the development of the Network Centric System of Systems Architecture for FCS.

Mike joined Curtiss-Wright in 2005 as a Business Development Director. He moved on to become the Vice President of Strategic Planning for Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions. While in this role, Mike also served as the Curtiss-Wright representative on the VITA board of directors, where he was active in guidance of VITA. Mike retired from Curtiss-Wright in 2022.

Building a strong ecosystem of interoperable, open-source computing technologies goes beyond just the technical bits and bytes.  The need to understand the benefits behind the standards and what, as a community, can be built using them is an important aspect to successful market adoption. 

Marty Simon, founder of The Simon Group, is known to many in our industry for his long commitment in helping member companies communicate the complex intricacies of critical embedded systems by shaping them into educational, relatable concepts as well as his expertise in publicizing the benefits and uses of open standards-based products across many industries.

While many engineering-types in our industry often discuss the highly technical aspects of VITA and its open standards, Marty always had a question ready: Why is this important? His training in journalism positioned him to help discover the true meaning behind what open standards were trying to achieve, so that this essence could be explained to the markets the open standards would serve.

Marty helped kick off the VME buzz by coordinating the first-ever trade press article on VME, that appeared in Electronic Products, circa 1986.  From there, he continued to build awareness for VITA’s technical standards through participation in industry events and marketing activities for companies employing VITA’s technical standards.

Marty passed away on August 29, 2021. Obituary.

Doug’s long involvement in open standards started back at the dawn of VME, first in the pivotal role of Director of Defense Marketing at Plessy Microsystems, which was one of the first companies to adopt VME standards in the 1980s. Doug transitioned with the company when it became Radstone Technologies, which is now a part of Abaco Systems that operates today. 

Throughout his career with many leading embedded computing companies, Doug has loyally championed open standards to help facilitate interoperability and technology reuse, supporting VITA’s mission of technology excellence in real-time, modular critical embedded computing systems.

He served on the VITA Board of Directors from 2007 to 2012 and is a widely published author of open standards-based rugged embedded computing concepts for the defense and aerospace market.  He also holds three patents in advanced metered mailing systems and non-volatile memory redundancy mapping. 

Most recently, Doug worked at Aitech, a provider of rugged electronics and systems for military, aerospace and space applications, where he served as VP of Global Marketing.  During his more than 15-year tenure, Doug sought to not only build on the legacy of existing VME platforms, but embrace the forward-looking path that VPX provided through the company’s technology and product innovations.

Doug is currently principle of DH Patterson Associates, where he is applying his technical and business expertise to a broad range of electronics companies.

Michael has been active in standards for many years: He has been involved with VITA, PICMG, IEEE, and other international standards organizations. His contributions to the technical and business aspects have had a great impact.

His skills as a cross-company collaborator, product designer, technical writer, presenter, and trainer made him an important player in the development of many of our standards in use today.

He was a strategic product manager with over 33 years in the electronics arena; he has been recognized by peers as an expert on Eurocard chassis design and connectors.

Michael was responsible for innovating new backplane solutions for the VXS and VPX industry. He chaired the VITA 41.7 committee where he defined a new VXS architecture. Since 2006, he has been contributing to the wide family of VPX standards, with major contributions to ANSI-VITA 65.0. He represented Elma Electronic in the development of the Army CERDEC CMOSS [C4ISR Modular Open Suite of Standards] convergence architecture, based on OpenVPX. He represented Elma in the Sensor Open Standards Architecture (SOSA) and contributed to the SOSA Electrical Hardware Working Group. His day job included supporting new OpenVPX product development and providing internal training, internal technical support, public presentations, and key customer support.

Michael has moved onto his retirement but remains involved in his role as a VITA Distinguished Fellow.

Rex was a key contributor to VITA standards, particularly in the area of cooling technologies where he could apply his mechanical engineering skills. While his contributions to VITA were critical to several standards, his real claim to fame was in track and field where Rex was a huge presence in the masters' track and field scene both in the U.S. and internationally.

Rex attended Dexfield High School, where he helped his track and field team win two state championships under the legendary coach Dean Roe. He then earned a Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering at Iowa State University, where he attended on an athletic track and field scholarship. During which he participated in four U.S. NCAA Division I Championships.  Rex was a Vietnam War Veteran, who served as a Captain in the United States Airforce. As a member of the US Military track and field team he represented the United States at many international competitions, as well as the 1972 & 1976 US Olympic Trials in the Decathlon.  He went on to earn a Master of Science Degree in Systems Management at the University of Southern California.  During his many years as an engineer, he designed and holds several patents for nozzles.  He ended his career as a Research Development Engineer at Parker Corporation in Cleveland, Ohio.

Rex continued his track career as a masters competitor, during which he won 13 straight national decathlon championships, as well as several world championships in the decathlon, pole vault, and as a member of several relay teams.  He was inducted into the USATF Masters Hall of Fame in 2000. Rex was an integral part of developing age-graded tables for scoring masters track and field athletic performances.  He was elected to two terms as Vice President Stadia of World Masters Athletics (WMA).  He currently was serving as the President of USATF Masters Track & Field.

With great sadness, we announce that Rex passed away on Sunday, December 22, 2019 in Prescott, Arizona, where he lived. The cause was a massive heart attack. Obituary