I was very sad to hear that Alex King died a few days ago and have been trying to think about what to say. If you do not know Alex or who he is – he was many things to many people – but to me – he was my mentor. I was an early adopter of WordPress (back before themes and plugins).
I started following him (RSS) back in 2002 because he was always creating/sharing snippets and eventually themes/plugins that made WordPress better. I also was one of the first users of his Tasks software which I used religiously – so much so that I would email him with questions/suggestions, and would partake in beta testing new versions. He was also an avid golfer who enjoyed his PING irons like me.
After one email in which I mentioned I wanted to start my own company – much like he did, he offered his support, advice, and even started sending me referrals. I am sure I would not be where I am today without him. He was meticulous with his code and kind with his words. He was always very approachable and always made time for me. He consistently put a lot of thought into his work – so much so that he one time asked for my feedback on possible change options for his email signature. He made sure things were not just done, but done right. He provided guidance to me on many levels – everything from code reviews to business advice.
To me – Alex King will always be the one person in my life that pushed me to get out of my comfort zone, put myself out there, and to do great things. He also taught me that not all ideas/projects will be a success – but to keep trying and never give up. While I am very sad Alex King is no longer on this earth – I am so happy to have made the connection with him 13+ years ago. I will be forever grateful for everything he has done for me and other developers like me. Thank you Alex – for your code, your time, and your inspiration.
