Rajeev Motwani (photo above), one of the great giants of Silicon Valley, is dead. Rajeev Motwani, a leading angel investor, Stanford educator, and influence behind many of today’s top tech companies, has died.

Motwani started the Mining Data at Stanford project (MIDAS), was an early investor in Paypal, and top adviser to VC giant Sequoia Capital.

Techcrunch writes says tonight of Motwani’s passing:

“We owe Rajeev a debt of gratitude here at TechCrunch, as he was kind enough to speak at a number of our events and was genuinely supportive of our efforts.”

Gigaom writes of the person and how he touched lives on a caring level:

I have known Rajeev, his wife Asha and their family for a long time. Rajeev, like me, was from New Delhi. In my professional career (and personal moments of crisis) Rajeev was only a phone call away, sharing his vast rolodex. Just like a true friend. Only a few weeks back, I had a simple Indian lunch in his house with his family. I am sure, I am not the only one who has benefited from his generosity of time and knowledge and his ability to create connections and help others.

Funeral arrangements have not been announced.

Rajeev Motwani will be greatly missed.