Automattic lost our friend Alex yesterday. A couple of weeks ago at work we were told the heartbreaking news that his cancer had become terminal. A few days later he posted Leukemia Has Won. Then last night I learned about his passing from an update his family posted on his blog.

Alex was only 34. Fuck cancer!

Yesterday I was actually making updates to some code Alex wrote several years ago, so I had just been thinking about him. He contributed so much to Automattic and will be missed.

I’ll never forget how surprised I was when I learned that the biggest car enthusiast in the company didn’t have a driver’s license. He eventually got it and then I got to see the smile on his face when he took me for a ride in his Dodge Viper, which he had drove up from Portland to Vancouver.

Perhaps the thing I’ll remember most about Alex was how unselfish he was. We worked on the same team for several years and travelled together quite a few times. Alex was a very picky eater and he always insisted we not choose restaurants based on him. He wasn’t afraid to try new foods, but if he didn’t get a full meal, he was happy to grab some fast food on the way back to our hotel or Airbnb. A burrito was his favorite food, so in his memory I hit up the Taco Bell drive-thru for lunch.

Rest in peace Alex.