Wikipedia:Wikipedia Signpost/Next issue/Obituary
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It is with great sadness that we inform you that long-time English Wikipedia editor Doug Weller has passed away. Doug joined the project in 2006 and was elected unopposed at RFA in 2008. He accrued over 270 thousand edits during his twenty years with us, and was among the top 200 users by edit count at the time of his passing.
Unfortunately, Doug was diagnosed with cancer in early 2022. He documented much of his journey with the disease on his talk page over the subsequent four years, before ultimately dying in his sleep on September 30, 2026. Doug met his end with a level of dignity many of us could only dream of, and he has left a legacy on this community that will not soon be forgotten.
To fully demonstrate how loved Doug was by the community, I'll put here the words the community wrote when he was given the Editor of the Week award in 2023, a year after his diagnosis:
It is with great appreciation that the members of the Editor Retention Project bestow the Editor of the Week award to Doug Weller, a scholar, a gentleman and the sort of Wikipedian we all wish we could one day become. One of the truly bright lights and inspirational editors in the WP community, Doug has faced his recent health diagnosis with his usual thoughtfulness and reason. He has made massive contributions over the years, especially as an administrator, helping to make Wikipedia a more trustworthy source by rooting out misinformation and vandalism. We will never be able to measure the strife he has saved us from, because one never notices the strife which never occurs. A perfect example of his commitment to WP is his welcoming of a new editor just a few days ago. Godspeed to you, good sir. A trusted, productive and helpful editor whose talk page is filled with thanks and well wishes from fellow editors. Thank you for the example, the kindness, and the things that we will miss.
Messages of remembrance can be left on his talk page. Rest in peace, Doug. You will be missed.
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