In Memoriam: Lucas Mearian, 1962-2025

Computerworld and the larger tech journalism community lost an outstanding journalist and beloved colleague earlier this month with the unexpected passing of Senior Reporter Lucas Mearian. He passed away on Oct. 21 while recovering from heart surgery, leaving behind his wife Kim and their family.

After a nearly 10-year stint in the US Marine Corps and an early career in newspaper journalism, first as daily newspaper reporter and briefly as editor-in-chief at a local weekly paper, Lucas came to Computerworld in June 2000. He immediately began digging into enterprise technology topics with a dedication and curiosity that would successfully carry him through the next 25 years. Among the topics he wrote about — and won awards for — were enterprise storage, automotive technology, PCs, 3D printing, data privacy, fintech, cryptocurrency and blockchain. Most recently he focused on generative AI, the reshoring of chip manufacturing to the US, remote/hybrid work, and IT skills and training.

Lucas approached everything he did with enthusiasm, high energy, and a positive outlook. Where other reporters might see mundane topics, Lucas always saw opportunity. He was legendary at Computerworld for finding great stories on his data storage beat — a topic few expected would produce the number of compelling articles he regularly filed. He once found himself deep in a western Pennsylvania mine, 22 stories underground, that had been set up by data storage and management vendor Iron Mountain to study geothermal conditions and engineering designs for electronic document storage. 

Throughout his career, Lucas relished the challenge of learning about new (and often complex) technology. When blockchain burst onto the tech scene in the late 2010s, Lucas jumped at the chance to write about it, using his reporting skills to explain to our readers what the technology does and how it works. He became an expert on 3D printing, routinely printing up objects to better understand the technology and its potential uses. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he explored how the sudden rise of remote work was reshaping the workplace in real time. 

Lucas took a break from journalism a few years back to try his hand at being a tech analyst for IDC. He excelled at his analysis work but missed the faster pace of tech journalism, so he returned to Computerworld and picked up where he left off.

Most recently, since the arrival of ChatGPT and generative AI in late 2022, Lucas devoted much of his work time to the fast-evolving technology — and the sudden need for new skills among unprepared tech workers. He spoke with people seeking  jobs at chipmakers looking to set up new facilities in the US, and explained why the lack of skilled workers could hinder the entire reshoring effort. And just last month, he dug into the Trump administration’s plans for major new H-1B visa fees and how they could radically change how tech companies find talent worldwide.

Lucas’s talents went beyond his authoritative writing and reporting skills. He often appeared on camera for Computerworld’s video series (and those of our parent company, Foundry), displaying an ease in the spotlight that allowed him to expound on technology in a new way. He was also involved in many Foundry events, most recently the CIO 100 conference in August. Lucas stepped in for another colleague to host the CIO 100 Media Booth with very little ramp-up time, personally reaching out to secure interviews with more than 20 C-suite executives and crafting tailored questions for each guest. Over the course of three intensive days, he conducted on-camera interviews and actively built connections with every professional he encountered. (You can see some of this work here and here.) 

One of Lucas’ most recent interviews was with Sastry Durvasula, Chief Operating, Information & Digital Officer at TIAA:

Much more important than his professional success was his character. Lucas was kind, generous, caring, and giving — both professionally and personally. He routinely shared his knowledge with colleagues and regularly promoted other writers’ articles in social media channels. In a highly competitive industry, Lucas enjoyed and celebrated his colleagues’ successes as much as his own.

A talented baker, he often shared his homemade pies in the newsroom around the holidays. Those pies — like his writing and work ethic — were legendary. He also loved to travel, especially around New England. He and Kim would wander from their home in Natick, Mass. to Vermont (always bringing back cheddar cheese for colleagues) and Newport, Rhode Island. He loved the coastal life there and visited so often that co-workers joked that’s where he should retire.

Lucas was there for his co-workers outside the office as well. He was a man of deep faith and it showed in how he lived his life. He was the kind of person who would reach out personally in times of crisis, asking what he could do to help, offering prayers and encouragement. Just this past summer and fall, when a colleague’s mother became ill and passed away, Lucas stayed in touch — always reassuring his friend that he was praying for everyone’s comfort and peace. (The prayers helped.) Earlier this month, just three days before major heart surgery, he helped a co-worker’s daughter understand what Marine life was like. (She was in a play, where she had the role of a retired Marine and wanted to Lucas to fill her in on how Marines remember their service.)

One colleague who’d known him for years put it simply: “Everyone who knew Lucas loved him.”

It’s often said that most people don’t remember what a person does in life, or what they say, but they do remember how someone makes them feel. Perhaps because of his time in the service, perhaps because of his faith, certainly because of his character, Lucas left us feeling he always had our back — both professionally and as a friend. His loss is truly profound.

In Lucas’s honor, his family requests that donations be made to the Wounded Warrior Project.

Computerworld Senior Reporter Lucas Mearian
Sharon MachlisIn Memoriam: Lucas Mearian, 1962-2025 – ComputerworldRead More