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Philip (Don) Estridge was serving as the IBM vice president, manufacturing, when he died in a plane crash, along with his wife, Mary Ann, on August 2, 1985. IBM's president and chief executive officer John F. Akers said at the time: "Don Estridge was a man of vision whose skill and leadership helped guide IBM's personal computer business to success. He had a very bright future in our business. He and Mary Ann will be greatly missed by all their friends and colleagues."
In 1981, Estridge had been named director, Entry Systems Business, responsible for the IBM Personal Computer, which was introduced on August 12 of that year. He later became general manager of Entry Systems in the System Products Division and was appointed an IBM vice president in 1984.
The following is the text of a December 1984 IBM biography.
Mr. Philip D. Estridge, IBM vice president and president, Entry Systems Division, International Business Machines Corporation, Boca Raton, Florida.
Mr. Estridge joined IBM in June 1959 as a junior engineer in Kingston, New York, and held various positions in the Federal Systems Division, including working on the manned and unmanned programming support for NASA/Goddard.
In 1969 he joined the General Systems Division and from 1975 to 1979 he was the Series/1 programming manager. During 1979-1980, he had responsibility for the development of a Series/1 integrated product.
Mr. Estridge became manager of Entry Level Systems--Small Systems in 1980, responsible for the development of small microprocessor-based systems for tiny business and personal use.
He was then appointed director, Entry Systems Business, in July of 1981, responsible for the IBM Personal Computer. On January 28, 1982 he was appointed division director, Entry
Systems Business Unit, and on March 4, 1982, was appointed System Products Division vice president and general manager, Entry Systems.
On August 1, 1983, Mr. Estridge was appointed president, of the newly formed Entry Systems Division and January 1984 was named an IBM vice president.
Entry Systems Division combines entry systems activities in Boca Raton, Fla. and office workstation product activities in Austin, Tex. Mr. Estridge has responsibility for worldwide
development and product management, and U.S. manufacturing, for IBM's general purpose, low-cost, personal-use computer systems. Mr. Estridge graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering.
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