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Mentifex R.I.P

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  Mentifex R.I.P David Meyer <papa@sdf.org> - 2026-08-15 23:20 +0900
    Re: Mentifex R.I.P jkn <jkn+nin@nicorp.co.uk> - 2026-08-15 17:57 +0100
      Re: Mentifex R.I.P Hans Bezemer <the.beez.speaks@gmail.com> - 2026-08-17 13:19 +0200
    Re: Mentifex R.I.P albert@spenarnc.xs4all.nl - 2026-08-22 17:06 +0200
    Re: Mentifex R.I.P Kragen Javier Sitaker <kragen@canonical.org> - 2026-09-02 14:07 -0300

#135348 — Mentifex R.I.P

This is old news, but Arthur T. Murray, better known as Mentifex, Forth
programmer, self-proclaimed solver of AI (MindForth), and Internet gadfly
of the 1990s and 2000s passed away on February 21, 2024.

https://obituaries.seattletimes.com/obituary/arthur-murray-1089408830

-- 
David Meyer
Takarazuka, Japan
papa@sdf.org

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#135349

On 15/08/2026 15:20, David Meyer wrote:
> This is old news, but Arthur T. Murray, better known as Mentifex, Forth
> programmer, self-proclaimed solver of AI (MindForth), and Internet gadfly
> of the 1990s and 2000s passed away on February 21, 2024.
> 
> https://obituaries.seattletimes.com/obituary/arthur-murray-1089408830
> 
Thanks for letting me/us know

     J^n

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#135354

On 15-08-2026 18:57, jkn wrote:
> On 15/08/2026 15:20, David Meyer wrote:
>> This is old news, but Arthur T. Murray, better known as Mentifex, Forth
>> programmer, self-proclaimed solver of AI (MindForth), and Internet gadfly
>> of the 1990s and 2000s passed away on February 21, 2024.
>>
>> https://obituaries.seattletimes.com/obituary/arthur-murray-1089408830
>>
> Thanks for letting me/us know
> 
>      J^n
> 
He was one of our more memorable members, who seemed to have no bad bone 
in his body. It sad to hear I won't be able to enjoy one of his posts 
ever again.

Hans Bezemer

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#135385

In article <871pbzv51e.fsf@localhost>, David Meyer  <papa@sdf.org> wrote:
>This is old news, but Arthur T. Murray, better known as Mentifex, Forth
>programmer, self-proclaimed solver of AI (MindForth), and Internet gadfly
>of the 1990s and 2000s passed away on February 21, 2024.
>
>https://obituaries.seattletimes.com/obituary/arthur-murray-1089408830

He was an inspiration to me, to think about AI.
Sad to hear, he is gone.

>
>--
>David Meyer
>Takarazuka, Japan
>papa@sdf.org
-- 
The Chinese government is satisfied with its military superiority over USA.
The next 5 year plan has as primary goal to advance life expectancy
over 80 years, like Western Europe.

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#135530

David Meyer <papa@sdf.org> writes:
> This is old news, but Arthur T. Murray, better known as Mentifex, Forth
> programmer, self-proclaimed solver of AI (MindForth), and Internet gadfly
> of the 1990s and 2000s passed away on February 21, 2024.
>
> https://obituaries.seattletimes.com/obituary/arthur-murray-1089408830

I’m sorry to hear it; even though I was often annoyed by him while he
was alive, I remember him as being fairly harmless and sometimes
amusing.  It’s unfortunate that he died without being able to make any
progress on AI, but I’m glad that he lived long enough to witness others
(apparently) doing so.

Here’s the text of the Seattle Times obituary, for those who can’t
access the web site themselves:

## Arthur Theodore Murray Obituary

1946 - 2024

In Artificial Intelligence circles, "Mentifex" (Arthur Theodore Murray)
was bold and controversial. He composed a "theory of the mind" and
developed AI based on his knowledge of classical languages. He wrote
"AI4U," "AI for Latin," and other books. To his death, he wanted this
work to be widely understood and useful to others.

At West Green Lake, "Crawdad Man" dove repeatedly into the lake, finding
lost objects and playing pranks. He was athletic, entertaining, and
legendary.

To family, "Ted" was an eccentric genius. He became fluent in fourteen
languages by diverse methods, including subscribing to Pravda as a teen;
studying Classics at Blanchet, UW, and Berkeley; and sneaking onto
Russian freighters to talk with the crew and give them small
calculators. Loyal caregiver in his father's illness, Ted lived with his
father and stepmother Edel Hondl MD for several years.

Ted loved his family dearly even while he struggled to connect. He
pranked his family too. He taught his pre-school niece "E equals mc
squared" and that it was Einstein's Theory of Relativity to amuse and
astound her parents in the midst of a Hangman game. He also taught her,
"Eins, Zwei, Drei, Vier, Lift your glass and drink your beer," which she
practiced to many giggles in the triangular mirrors of the Men's
Department at the Northgate Bon Marche.

To friends, "Arthur" was the guy who read The New York Times and much
else. He didn't care about his social standing or yours. He could talk
about anything and always had something interesting to say. He was
passionate about fairness and the dignity of everyone.

Parents Arthur A. Murray, MD, and Barbara Yagle Murray, Seattle natives,
had Arthur Theodore on July 13, 1946, in Dallas where Captain Murray was
stationed to attend Southwest Medical College. After multiple Army
moves, including GA, WA, TX, and the Panama Canal Zone, Major Murray
resigned his Army commission and moved the family (Larry, Ted, Chris
Niblack, John, Roger, MaryAnne, and Jim), to Raymond WA and then to the
Seattle area.

In the Army, Sergeant Arthur Theodore Murray served with distinction as
a nuclear weapons electronic specialist in both the United States and
Germany. After military service, he taught German and Latin at The
Overtake School where two of his brothers also taught. Then he worked
for a news reading service and a Wallingford news stand before retiring
and pursuing his passions full-time.

Ted developed bile duct cancer in late 2023, requiring family and
hospice assistance. Frugal all his life, he viewed terminal care at
Chris' condo as a "swanky resort" and was grateful for everything. He
died on February 21, 2024 in Edmonds.

Interment is planned at Tahoma National Cemetery. A memorial service
will be held in the spring. In lieu of flowers, the family asks you to
love people who think differently, and enjoy them while you can.

To [send
flowers](https://seattle-times.tributestore.com/?oId=30854761&bn=AdPerfect%20-%20Seattle%20Times&md=Seattle%20Times&tn=AdPerfect-OF-V1&otv=One-Funnel-MediaPartner1-Timeless)
to the family or [plant a
tree](https://tree-tc.tributestore.com/?oId=30854761&bn=AdPerfect%20-%20Seattle%20Times&md=Seattle%20Times&tn=AdPerfect-OF-V1&otv=One-Funnel-MediaPartner1-Timeless)
in memory of Arthur, please [visit our floral
store](https://seattle-times.tributestore.com/?oId=30854761&bn=AdPerfect%20-%20Seattle%20Times&md=Seattle%20Times&tn=AdPerfect-OF-V1&otv=One-Funnel-MediaPartner1-Timeless).

Published on February 25, 2024

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