bobafred

My friend and former co-worker Bill Sims passed away this afternoon after suffering a heart attack over the weekend.

Bill was a very talented and hardworking programmer. He was a devoted family man and had the spirit of a man half his age. Whether he was dismantling the dryer to find the one part that squeaked or wiring a house for electricity, he always managed to keep busy.

I have to admit, Bill was a pretty unique character. He didn’t take crap from anyone, and that included managers and directors. As you can probably imagine, he was a perfect ally to have by your side in the workplace. At one point he and I were pretty much the programming department for the Atlanta office and he always had my back. Whether it was some stuffy corporate type with an unreasonable request or a horribly written specification document, Bill was there to help in anyway he could. He coached me in the ways of navigating office politics and was always available to offer up life advice.

One of the greatest compliments I have ever received was when Bill told me that I reminded him a lot of himself when he was my age. He would always counter my anger or frustrations with a ‘been there, done that’ answer that made me believe this to be true. I can safely say that if I someday attain the level of personal and professional happiness that Bill did, I will in fact consider my life successful.

I’m going to miss my friend Bill. I’m a better person for having known him.

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Update 08/31: Adam shares some memories.