Woody Beeler has passed away
May 8, 2017Today, Woody Beeler passed away after battling cancer for a few years. Woody was a friend, an inspiration, and my mentor in health care standards, and I’m going to miss him. 
I first met Woody in 2001 at my first HL7 meeting. It was Woody who drew me into the HL7 community, and who educated me about the impact that standards could have. Many people at HL7 have told me the same thing – it was Woody that inspired them to become part of the community.
When I remember Woody, I think of his humour, his passion for developing the best standards possible, and his commitment to building the community out of which standards arise. And I remember the way Woody was prepared to roll up his sleeves and get his hands dirty to get the job done. To the point of learning significant new technical skills long after retirement age had come and gone. Truly, a Jedi master at healthcare standards.
For many years, Woody was the v3 project lead for HL7. Woody wasn’t blind to the issues with v3, but it was the best option available to the community at the time – so he gave everything he had to bring v3 to completion. And it was Woody who mentored me through the early stages of establishing the FHIR community.
It’s my goal that in the FHIR project we’ll keep Woody’s commitment to community and healthcare outcomes – and doing whatever is needed – alive.
Vale Woody
(pic h/t Rene Spronk, who maintains a history of HL7 v3 – see http://ringholm.com/docs/04500_en_History_of_the_HL7_RIM.htm)