Tim Cook marks anniversary of Steve Jobs's death, remembers a leader, mentor, and 'dear friend'

Monday is the fourth anniversary of the death of Steve Jobs, a solemn occasion remembered by Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook in an email sent to his company's staff, in which he recalled a "brilliant person" who left an undeniable impact on those around him.

"Today marks four years since Steve passed away," Cook wrote in the email, republished by The Telegraph. "On that day, the world lost a visionary. We at Apple lost a leader, a mentor, and many of us lost a dear friend."

Cook has also marked the annual occasion in years past with a company-wide email, asking employees to honor and remember Jobs. Last year, he told the staff to reflect on how the products created under Jobs have impacted not only the technology industry, but also the world.

Having become a close friend and confidant of Jobs before his passing, Cook frequently speaks openly about how much Jobs meant to him. In an interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert last month, Cook said that Jobs was "a joy to work with," and that he always demanded the best out of his employees.

"I miss him every day, Cook said.

In his latest letter sent out Monday, Cook recalled the legacy of Jobs, particularly in the team at Apple and the products that they create. He also spoke of the joy that Jobs brought to his family, and how important his children were to him.

Cook's full email is included below:

Team,

Today marks four years since Steve passed away. On that day, the world lost a visionary. We at Apple lost a leader, a mentor, and many of us lost a dear friend.

Steve was a brilliant person, and his priorities were very simple. He loved his family above all, he loved Apple, and he loved the people with whom he worked so closely and achieved so much.

Each year since his passing, I have reminded everyone in the Apple community that we share the privilege and responsibility of continuing the work Steve loved so much.

What is his legacy? I see it all around us: An incredible team that embodies his spirit of innovation and creativity. The greatest products on earth, beloved by customers and empowering hundreds of millions of people around the world. Soaring achievements in technology and architecture. Experiences of surprise and delight. A company that only he could have built. A company with an intense determination to change the world for the better.

And, of course, the joy he brought his loved ones.

He told me several times in his final years that he hoped to live long enough to see some of the milestones in his children's lives. I was in his office over the summer with Laurene and their youngest daughter. Messages and drawings from his kids to their father are still there on Steve's whiteboard.

If you never knew Steve, you probably work with someone who did or who was here when he led Apple. Please stop one of us today and ask what he was really like. Several of us have posted our personal remembrances on AppleWeb, and I encourage you to read them.

Thank you for honoring Steve by continuing the work he started, and for remembering both who he was and what he stood for.

Tim