Founder of Adobe and Developer of PDFs Dies at Age 81

Dr. Charles M. Geschke, president, co-chairman and co-founder of Adobe Systems Inc., delivers his keynote address about the future of workplace information on the final day of PC Expo at the Jacob K. Javits, Convention Center in New York City, on June 24, 1999. Richard Drew/AP Photo

LOS ALTOS, Calif.—Charles “Chuck” Geschke—the co-founder of the major software company Adobe Inc. who helped develop Portable Document Format technology, or PDFs—died at age 81.

Geschke, who lived in the San Francisco Bay Area suburb of Los Altos, died Friday, the company said.