It is with great sadness and regret that University of Washington (UW) ADRC announces the passing of our dear colleague Will Affleck-Asch. Will joined the UW ADRC Data, Methods, and Statistics core in 2006, and has since been an instrumental force for implementation of rigorous data management and quality control techniques within our Center. Will was a consistent, passionate, clear voice for reason and logic, always working towards the betterment of the whole, even through his last days with us.
Will started as data manager just prior to the initial training and roll-out of the first version of the Uniform Data Set (UDS), continuing in this role throughout all subsequent changes and modifications of UDS. He developed an intimate knowledge of UDS and ADRC data structures, and soon became a key resource for other Cores and Centers on the topics of data representation, capture procedures, and errors resolution. He served on cross-Center workgroups, consistently motivated in his desire to maintain accuracy and cross-version compatibility in National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (NACC) data. Will always tried to make sure that UW ADRC and NACC data were the most accurate that they could be, to the benefit of scientific efforts to analyze those data.
Throughout Will’s long tenure working with UW ADRC, UDS, and NACC data, he was invariably patient, cheerful, and positive about any topic or query brought to him. He would take the time needed to ensure that all questions were answered, and materials provided, in order to address the needs of end-users, whether internal or external. His expertise was encyclopedic, and he was always generous in sharing his knowledge.
Outside of the ADRC, Will had several notable passions. He was dedicated to environmental causes and green energy: Will did not own a car, and instead walked or took public transportation everywhere. He belonged to a program enabling solar panels to feed collected power back into the electrical grid, in order to offset his own electrical use. Will also loved international movies. He often used vacation time to attend the Seattle International Film Festival, attending films, gatherings, and parties throughout the festival. However, his greatest passion was his son, Ian. Will leaves his family, friends, and colleagues, and he will be greatly missed.
