George R. Ekiert

George Richard Ekiert died in the early morning hours of June 19th, 2026 at home in Ayer, Massachusetts. Affectionately known as GRE to his friends, family, and colleagues, he was a man blessed and challenged by the drive to achieve and provide for himself and his loved ones. Born June 12, 1950 to Polish immigrants Tad and Marie Ekiert in Mineola, New York, GRE showed from a young age that he had a knack for engineering and circuitry. After graduating High School at St. John’s Prep in Brooklyn he went on to study Electrical Engineering at Tufts University in Somerville where he found lifelong friends and networks in need of his creative and innovative ideas. A pioneer of the technology era, GRE’s first company, Darlabs, served the data network needs of giants like the Boston Red Sox, the Christian Science Church of Boston, and Digital Equipment Corporation. Self-employed most of his life, Darlabs eventually evolved into MOD-TAP, taking its name from GRE’s invention of the first modular jack to D-Sub Connector. This product became the blueprint for linking computers into networks by “snapping it all together” and fundamentally changed how the world connects. Always ready for an adventure, GRE joined the Pat Metheny Group during their iconic 1979 American Garage tour across the United States. Traveling, music, and long-lasting friendships were always important to GRE and so was his connection to his roots. His visits to Poland were a breath of fresh air for family in the years before independence, bringing them connection and hope in a time of isolation and uncertainty. He valued showing up for people and rarely missed a chance to roll through for a sound check or family celebration. The singular hard knock at the door that signaled his arrival will be missed by many. As GRE pursued his entrepreneurial escapades in technology he refused to be limited by borders. In the 1990s he made the bold decision to move to Warszawa, Poland to open a regional branch of MOD-TAP. This venture brought him closer to family and provided critical digital infrastructure for a rapidly modernizing Eastern Europe. Upon returning to the United States, his work with MOD-TAP led to the next enterprise, Residential Cabling Systems, which introduced products available to commercial businesses to residential homes. As GRE moved from project to project many of the younger people who worked with him were inspired by his focus and drive and came to see him as a motivator and supporter. His final career move was to re-engage his early passion by starting Home Electric Inc and serving as the local licensed electrician known around Harvard for his reliability, blunt customer service, and camel colored fleet of vehicles. GRE’s generous spirit led him to volunteer his services to The Bromfield School by upgrading their networking infrastructure and supporting the after-prom “Celebration” year after year. His deep connection to his heritage inspired him to find opportunities for other adventurous young people from Poland to come work, travel, and study in the United States and he really enjoyed interviewing prospective students as a Tufts Alumnus. GRE was a reluctant retiree, but starting the next chapter of life by moving back to Poland, this time with official citizenship, rekindled his intrepid spirit and deepened his connections to friends and family in Kraków, Turek, Starogard, and Warszawa. Survived by his wife of 45 years Ania Ekiert, his children Joe and Lulu Ekiert, his grandchildren Penelope and Madeline Ekiert, his sister Elizabeth Joan Ekiert, and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, friends, colleagues, and plusze that have been deeply impacted by having GRE in their lives. GRE will be buried in a private ceremony. Details about the celebration of his life and legacy are forthcoming. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Democracy Now! https://www.democracynow.org/donate or the LUCE Immigrant Justice Network of MA.https://www.lucemass.org/donate

Tributes

George R. Ekiert

June 12, 1950 - June 19, 2026