George Harry Goble, affectionately known as "GHG," of West Lafayette, Indiana, passed away peacefully on March 18, 2026, at Majestic Care of Lafayette. He was 73 years old.
Born on December 11, 1952, in Centerville, Indiana, George spent his early years there before pursuing his passion for technology. He was preceded in death by his parents, George Washington Goble and Lucille Serepinas Goble, and by his sister, Carol Ann Goble Warner.
He is survived by his brother-in-law, Michael Warner, with whom he remained close; his nephew, Cody Warner of New York City; and his devoted friend and caregiver, Jennifer N. Isbell of West Lafayette.
George also leaves behind many cherished friends, including Kathy Willowood, Michael and Yvonne Parkinson, John Phillips, Joe Cychosz, Maggie and Elliot Dale, Rex Bontrager, Diane S, Nancy Bulger, Jim Lehnert, Dave Chasey, and Dan St. John, as well as several cousins: Kim, Debbie, Mikey, Buzzy, Sara, and Susie.
George graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering. He became a founding member of the Purdue Engineering Computer Network (ECN), where he dedicated his career until retirement. A true pioneer in computing, he was an early expert in the UNIX operating system and collaborated with industry legends such as Dennis Ritchie, Ken Thompson, and Bill Joy.
In recognition of his contributions, Purdue University honored him in 2022 as an Outstanding Electrical and Computer Engineering Fellow.
His innovations included early work in parallel processing by connecting DEC VAX systems, developing PNET (an early networking system), and broadcasting one of the first web-based videos of a solar eclipse.
A striking example of his forward-thinking occurred years ago on a beach in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, where George-sitting on the sand with a laptop connected via his cell phone-became one of the first people to read email over a mobile connection to a computer at Purdue. As a friend noted, "This was a real bit of history… At the time Apple had a whole engineering team trying to do this and here's George on the beach making it happen."
Beyond computing, George contributed to refrigeration technology, including work related to R-406A during the phase-out of ozone-depleting refrigerants, and later innovations aimed at improving thermodynamic efficiency.
In 2006, he partnered with Jerry Woodall to develop a hydrogen fuel system that used solid aluminum to split water into hydrogen and aluminum oxide, successfully demonstrated at Purdue.
George's unforgettable personality and humor gained national attention when he prepared a barbecue grill in a record three seconds using charcoal and liquid oxygen at the annual Eta Kappa Nu (HKN) picnic. The feat was featured in a June 1995 column by Dave Barry and earned him the 1996 Ig Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
In his personal life, George was a man of routine and simple pleasures. He was a familiar face at the local Pizza Hut in West Lafayette and enjoyed daily lunches with friends at Noble Roman's for many years. His bright yellow Hummer became something of a local legend, always managing to find a parking spot no matter the weather.
Jennifer N. Isbell, who cared for George over the past six years, first met him when she was working as a clerk at the Sunspot Natural Market in West Lafayette. What began as friendly conversations at the store grew into a deep and lasting friendship. Over time, Jennifer became his devoted caregiver, and their bond extended far beyond caregiving. Through daily routines, conversations, and quiet moments, their relationship grew into one of deep trust, respect, and companionship. Jennifer's unwavering compassion and dedication allowed George to remain comfortable, supported, and surrounded by familiarity in his later years. Her presence brought him not only care, but laughter and dignity-gifts that meant the world to him.
George will be remembered as a brilliant innovator, a loyal friend, and a one-of-a-kind individual whose intellect, creativity, and humor left a lasting impression on all who knew him.
No services are scheduled at this time. Share memories and condolences online at www.hippensteelfuneralservice.com
Obituary published on Legacy.com by WLFI on Mar. 31, 2026.
He used to have that video on his website - which I've discovered via a Usenet discussion not too long after it happened. It was one of the first videos I've downloaded via a web browser, and almost certainly the first video made with a digital camera I've ever seen.
Almost everyone and everything around us of any importance is one mishap away from going disappearing in a hot, sooty flame.
(it's a great book in general, but the bit about our use of a volatile gas for a living environment is pretty neat)