On the Loss of Our Friend

A note from Kirsten Burgard, Drupal4Gov President:

On the Loss of Our Friend

On March 30, 2020, James King, a core member and creator of the Drupal4Gov organization, passed away.

James and I met back in 2012 when the Department of Commerce hosted Drupal Government Days. James approached me with an idea: let NIH Library host the next Drupal Government Days. He envisioned making our little event a must-attend conference for government techies across agencies and levels. 

Through the years, James became my partner in Drupaly things. You couldn’t attend Drupal GovCon and miss James. He was everywhere. James often worked the lunch line, or ran to help speakers through security. James was the voice and face of Drupal4Gov throughout GovCon, sharing announcements before each day's keynote.

James was passionate about making it possible for government employees to attend Drupal GovCon. It was James’ passion that led to the creation of the travel award, and every year, he participated in the selection of award recipients. It is with his giving spirit in mind that the Drupal4Gov Foundation will honor his legacy by naming the Drupal GovCon travel award the James King Memorial Scholarship. 

In the coming weeks, we will update the Drupal GovCon website to accept donations for the James King Memorial Scholarship.

James leaves behind his wife, Carla, and daughter, Sarah. A tribute page for James is available through the Fletcher Funeral Home

James was the very best of the Drupal government community, a partner and friend. We will miss him dearly. 

Kirsten Burgard