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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEWS ADVISORY
XILINX CO-FOUNDER BERNARD "BERNIE"
VONDERSCHMITT PASSES AWAY
SAN JOSE, Calif., June 9, 2004 - Xilinx, Inc. (NASDAQ: XLNX) today
sadly announced the passing of Bernard (Bernie) V. Vonderschmitt,
Xilinx co-founder, Chairman Emeritus and former Chairman of the
Board. Vonderschmitt died earlier today in his hometown of Jasper,
Indiana.
"This is a very sad day for Xilinx and the entire semiconductor
industry. So much of the success Xilinx enjoys today can be attributed
to Bernie's foresight, business acumen and ingenuity," said
Wim Roelandts, Xilinx Chairman and CEO. "Over the years I have
been so grateful for his guidance, his caring for every employee,
and his humble approach. He will truly be missed."
Vonderschmitt began his illustrious career as an electrical engineer
in the semiconductor industry at RCA, where he received the David
Sarnoff award in recognition for his contribution to the invention
of the color television. In 1984, at the age of 60, he co-founded
Xilinx. His strategic vision and humanistic leadership style helped
Xilinx become the world's largest programmable logic supplier with
over $1 billion in sales. At Xilinx Vonderschmitt helped to pioneer
the field of programmable logic, a multi-billion dollar industry
today. He is also credited with pioneering the fabless semiconductor
model adopted by many leading semiconductor companies around the
world. Known throughout the industry for his accomplishments, Vonderschmitt
was the recipient of numerous industry awards including the Fabless
Semiconductor Association (FSA) 2002 Dr. Morris Chang Exemplary
Leadership Award.
John East, CEO of Actel, a programmable logic company located in
Mountain View, Calif., said "Having gone toe-to-toe with Bernie
for a decade I know two things for sure: Bernie was a world class
competitor and a world class human being. The valley will be a lesser
place without him."
In addition to his many contributions to the semiconductor industry,
Vonderschmitt gave generously to the community, including his alma
mater, the Rose Hulman Institute of Technology located in Terra
Haute, Ind. and Bay Area charities such as the Palo Alto Medical
Foundation and Santa Clara County Children's Shelter.
Private funeral services will be held tomorrow with public memorial
services planned for the near future. Those wishing to honor Vonderschmitt
are asked to send donations to the Humane Societies of Jasper, Indiana
or Silicon Valley.
About Xilinx
Xilinx is the worldwide leader in complete programmable logic
solutions. For more information, visit www.xilinx.com.
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