American computer scientist and father of the GIF image format, Stephen Wilhite, has died at age 74 from COVID-19.
Mr Wilhite succumbed to the virus on March 14, according to his wife, surrounded by his family.
He has been remembered online as "a very humble, kind, and good man even with his accomplishments".
"He will be remembered as a true visionary and a pioneer of online computing," former colleague Dave Eastburn posted to a virtual memorial.
"He was smart. He had integrity. He was direct and always said what he believed to be true," another colleague, Jane Henderson, said.
Mr Wilhite created the GIF in 1987 while working as an engineering lead at the CompuServe, an early internet service provider now owned by Verizon.
In 2012, on the 25th anniversary of the GIF, Mr Wilhite received a Webby Lifetime Achievement Award for the "immeasurable impact on the way users interface with the Web".
Upon receiving his award, Mr Wilhite weighed in on the fierce debate over the pronunciation of the file format.
"The Oxford English Dictionary accepts both pronunciations," he said.
Mr Wilhite leaves behind his wife Kathleen, a son, four step-children, 11 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
