remembering john stokdyk

the profession mourns a loss.

by seth fineberg
at large

how does one honor a life? it’s a heavy thing upon initial approach. but when you start from a point of celebration of what was lived and not mourning what was lost, i think you begin down the right path. but this isn’t about me or anyone other than the man i knew barely eight years of chronological time and who, i believe, should be remembered in the accounting community.

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to know john stokdyk as an editor, thinker, avid statistician and collector of all manner of data on accountants and related technology only touches the surface. i met him as he still held the editor title of accountingweb uk, which still boasts the largest audience of accountants in the uk. he and then accountingweb us publisher andy north interviewed me for the vacant managing editor role here.

john was quite intrigued by my experience and passion for business and accounting technology, the companies, and the products that have come and gone. after i was hired, we would discuss these topics at length, including related trends therein, even when we should have been focused on other editorial or business matters. john didn’t care. he could bang on seemingly endlessly about the paths different companies followed or the evolution and de-evolution of certain platforms and user bases.

john kept extended records of user data as well and would love to share patterns and trends he found. he was personable but not overly outgoing. he was curious without being annoying or off-putting. most of all, he was easy to talk to. and if you were fortunate enough to key into one of his many passions, which, believe it or not, did extend beyond the aforementioned, he would have a glint in his eye, and a smile would emerge beneath his ever-present mustache (he had it as long as i knew him), and you knew you were in for a good conversation.

those who knew him well also knew that music was a passion of his. he played bass in a local band in his beloved city of brighton, often frequenting a local pub and music venue the prince albert (aka the albert). by his distinct british accent, one would not know that john was actually an american citizen. this was a fact he loved to share, especially during trips to quickbooks connect when it was held in san jose, not far from his birth home of palo alto, calif., where he still had some family.

john was winding down his role at sift, where he spent over 20 years mostly overseeing his beloved accountingweb. he and his wife wendy were to enjoy their time in edinburgh while still serving sift and accountingweb in some capacity. but as we know, life is uncertain, and we now are left to, hopefully, remember john and celebrate his accomplishments, his passions, and the impact he had on those of us that had the joy of knowing him in any capacity.

i could go on, as again john and i often would, but i will say he will be missed. i will also say that i am fortunate to have known him. farewell, sir. you were one of the good ones.

posted on july 10, 2023