Michihiro Yamaki passed away a little over a week ago from a battle with liver cancer. He was the founder and CEO of Sigma. He was the person who gave the Foveon imager a chance when no one else would take the plunge, and without Sigma, there likely would have been no Foveon-based camera. He was a pioneer in the photographic industry in Japan, and his achievements were well known and celebrated. I had the pleasure of meeting him at PMA and again in Vermont. He was a very energetic and passionate person who loved to discuss photography. Although my time with him was fairly brief, I will always remember his kindness and generosity. And he loved to tell stories!
I looked through my photos to see if I had anything decent with him—I had never asked to take his 'portrait', although I'm sure he would have obliged. These are a couple photos of him after Dick Merrill's memorial service.
Rest in peace, Michihiro. And thanks for your visionary leadership at Sigma!