Ben Fuller

Benjamin G Fuller was born May 7, 1969. His first interest in computers was at Mesa Jr HS where the math class had a 2 week orientation. That is all he needed. He mastered the Motorola 6502 chip, wrote software in basic and assembler for Vic-20 C-64 in the form of games: Pac Man version, Hangman, Etc.

In 1985 Ben went to his father for venture capital. He had a customer that would purchase one of the 3 A-1000 Amiga computers with peripherals he wanted funded, and an operating budget. He had the whole business plan worked out. He had won honors in school computer competition mostly 1st place. He had a job with Copperstate a Commodore PET dealer in Phoenix. There he wrote QuckNibble, a nibble copier that would backup copyrighted software on the computers purchased for his own business.

Ben re-wrote HEADMASTER, the brains of the TP side of PET clustering, and the Mesa School District adopted it. Ben wrote Title I software, and truancy software. He later wrote Project D a utility with database, editors, and copiers even a nibbler; and a number of low level code, disk drivers for freeware or share ware. He wrote a wafer processing package for Motorola on first name basis with the owners and at 16 years old, was on contract to Motorola.

In 1989 Ben re-wrote top to bottom, "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" by Silent Software, a ghost company, for Buena Vista Disney. He also wrote Shotgun the backbone then of the new Palm Pad product which has propagated in the address, calendering and notes features in most hand held packages through today.

Later Ben branched into Win95 beta team, learned the Windows and Microsoft development skills and then history. He was key in Studio 16, Mac software, and then Macromedia Dreamweaver, Backstage and along came Panzer General II, a ghost written product apparently. While at Macromedia in tandum he worked stealthly to start ReplayTV and Antony Woods relied on his expertise. He had patents which were the guts, and heart of ReplayTV. When the transition came after Sonciblue purchased ReplayTV Sept 2001 and finalized May, 2002 Ben was in conflict with their legal team. That conflict was never settled and his estate is in bankruptcy court now to remedy.

Ben died September 8-9, 2002. His death was covered in mystery, there are still issues unresolved. He was 33 years old. He retired from ReplayTV June 2001, and in an interview with USA today in 2002 stated his net worth had been $4.4 million at the height of his career. His last product is unpublished and unknown. It was ProjectB I call it. A PC HDTV software product for $39.95 to run on an Amiga at at first, and then Mac and Windows platforms. He died before it was marketed.

To his credit he never initiated confrontations, always sought a peaceful solution. However, he had a tenacious determination to hold onto what he determined was his. It may have cost him his life.

His resume lists "to control TV" as one of his hobbies. He took pride in developing a product that gave parents and watchers of TV the ability to skip commercials and schedule programs they want to view without the nuisance. He succeeded, and his legacy is still with us with the cable networks, and other companies now using much of the creation that came from God, and Ben readily shared the gift.

"In his 33 years he has touched and blessed the lives of many. All who knew him, even if for a short time, have been impressed and honored. He was a man of integrity, kind, forgiving, gentle, intelligent and talented yet meek and humble .

I would like to paint you a picture through memories that will carry on forever in your hearts. How do I sum up his past years? How do I share with you thoughts and feelings so that you leave with a picture tatooed in your memory of Ben Fuller?

Well, Think of him as Mister Zoil. Mr. Zoil? Who is he, you ask? Mr. Zoil was/is Ben Fuller. It was a nickname given to him by a friend, Don Woodward. Ben liked it, appreciated it and "adopted this silly nickname with gusto", Don said. Ben even created a website using his nickname, www.zoil.com. Don was not only a workmate but also a friend. In the past week we have received numerous e-mails from his friends in California. Everything they shared with our family are feelings we wanted to share today, so I will quote from a few:

TM wrote, "I feel sorry for those of you who did not have a chance to meet Ben, I m sure you would have liked him!"

"Ben also had a wicked wit and sense of humor, not to mention a great understanding of life itself."

"On a couple of occasions he would say things like "do one thing and do it well." Freeze Frame AVS Forum said, " ...ReplayTV borders on a masterpiece and perhaps he will be remembered for this "one" thing. Personally I think the thing he did best was to be a friend and for that I will always be grateful." Beverly, Ben's sister.