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NamesCon Europe founder Dietmar Stefitz reportedly dies
Kevin Murphy,
December 4, 2020, 15:01:53 (UTC),
Domain Services
I’m very sorry to report that Dietmar Stefitz, founder of the domainer conference that would become NamesCon Europe, has died, according to social media posts.
His Facebook profile this morning filled with tributes, variously describing him as “passionate”, “kind” and “genuine”, after his niece announced his death.
Stefitz was best known in the domain industry for founding the Domaining Europe conference in 2008, which he hosted annually, typically in his home town of Valencia, Spain, for a decade.
The event was eventually merged with GoDaddy’s NamesCon to become NamesCon Europe in 2018, and Stefitz took a backseat role in its management.
I did not know Dietmar well, but I spent a enjoyable evening at his table during the inaugural NamesCon Europe and found him warm and engaging.
Eerily, Stefitz’s Twitter profile was updated this afternoon, encouraging readers to “take advantage of the little moments”, over 15 hours after his death was announced. I don’t know whether it was a time-delayed post or was posted by a relative.
While the tweeted video prominently features the character of the Grim Reaper, and it’s a Christmas advertisement for meat products, it does carry the message “Disfruta en vida”, which I believe translates as “Enjoy Life”.
Disfruta en vida y la alegría de la Navidad, aprovecha esos pequeños momentos. https://t.co/Qi6JW1YN4b #DisfruteEnVida
— Dietmar Stefitz (@bemarnet) December 4, 2020
It’s a message that, by all accounts, Stefitz lived by.
This news really saddens me. My brother David and I were the keynote speakers at his first conference. He and his wife were so gracious and kind. They made our first trip to Spain so wonderful. Dietmar loved people. He had a father-like aspect about him in regards to those of us that attended his conference. He was deeply moved and appreciate that people came from all over the world to be part of his creation. Like family, he hoped everyone would stay in touch and visit again. RIP
Dietmar has been the cement of the European domain name community, which is unknown oversee, but very strong indeed.
We owe him a lot and will miss him more.
Great guy. I loved that he was always reinventing himself and putting himself in the middle of everything. The version of him I met at the conference in Portugal last year was confident, vibrant and young at heart (in spite of his years). None of us live forever but he seemed to live his time on his terms and in his own way. That’s a model for us all.
I will miss him – RIP