It is with the deepest regret and a very heavy heart that I pass on the sad news that Mike Callahan, a QuickLogic Board Member since 1997, passed away earlier this week.  Mike, a dear friend, will be sorely missed.

My first meeting of Mike dates back to 1988 at an AMD Director’s Conference dinner following the MMI acquisition.   “Sarge” (as he was affectionately known), a Marine veteran and MIT graduate, was MMI’s President who immediately took over AMD’s Programmable Logic Division.  He was one of those people that made an immediate impression.  I knew then as I can confirm now–Mike was a GIANT in the semiconductor industry.  His career spans nearly 50 years working at and running companies like Motorola, MMI and Wafer Scale.  Following his retirement in the mid-90’s, Mike continued to serve on a variety of boards including Micrel and Teknovus (a 2010 Broadcom acquisition).

This is particularly difficult for me in that my initial meeting prior to joining QuickLogic in 2006 was with Mike Callahan, a definite positive influence in my joining QuickLogic.  A fellow board member, Christine Russell, said it best: “Mike is the of the finest gentlemen and businessmen I know.  Nowadays, the two are rarely combined.”

Semper Fidelis Mike, I salute you with pride.