The digital humanities community lost a good friend and colleague with the death of Chuck Bush, long-time Treasurer of the Association for Computers and Humanities and an unfailingly warm presence at the annual digital humanities conference which he attended with his wife, Junola.
Chuck was trained as a linguist and worked at Brigham Young University as a Senior Research Consultant in the Humanities Technology and Research Support Center, where he often explored his interests in both print and electronic publishing. He was one of the early advocates for Humanities Computing education, as he both administered and taught in the Computers and the Humanities Program. Humanities faculty at BYU will remember Chuck for his kind and dedicated assistance with arcane computer issues, as well as for his enthusiasm and unfailingly pleasant manner.
Chuck served for more than 20 years on the ACH Executive Council, and for those of us who worked closely with him during that time he was a constant source of calm good sense, humor, and organizational memory. An absolutely trustworthy steward for the ACH during its slowly rising fortunes, Chuck played a crucial role in managing the ACH's alliance with ADHO in 2005-6 and in helping the organization through a challenging transitional time. He could be counted on to suggest a helpful compromise, clarify a tricky point, or bring a discussion down to earth—he was never rattled or partisan.
Chuck was not given to self-display, but he had a great and subtle wit even in routine email. He was principled without imposing on others. With his particular dedication to supporting younger scholars and education, he was a strong champion of the ACH and ADHO bursary programs, and as ACH Treasurer he had the pleasure each year of handing out checks in a worthy cause. Those of us who met him annually for meetings and a conference will remember him with great affection, taking off his glasses in a meditative way before offering his thoughts. He will be much missed and warmly remembered by all.