Strata is a world-class geek and polymath: she’s co-authored one of the go-to books on system administration, teaches project management at USENIX, gardens, dotes on her cats, dives, blogs, and operates HAM radio.

Last year, she joined us at Linden Lab. If you recall my employer’s recent announcement hosting IBM’s annual Technology Academy meetings in Second Life behind their firewall, Strata’s project management acumen made that possible.

I’m starting to do more project management in my job, and Strata’s been a great mentor to me as I learn those new skills.

Thanks Strata. Happy Ada Lovelace Day.

There’s a whole host of women geeks I’ve known in-person and virtually to recognize as well:

Dorothea Salo, whose journey from linguistics grad student to authority on Open Access digital archiving it has been a pleasure to read these past few years.

Dori Smith and Shelly Powers, both excellent explainers of technology.

Liz Henry, who I’ve known for ages. She picked up, took her laptop, and went to Houston to help Katrina refugees who were getting short shrift from FEMA. And that’s a small part of all the great things she’s done over the years.

Our cousin Vito Excaliber, with her wit and sketchpad.

K. Tempest Bradford, netbook maven, and unflinching vanguard for women of color in science fiction fandom.

Tess Chu, our team’s technical lead: unflappable, wise in the ways of C++, and mentors other women engineers and students.

Florence Chan, artist and wrangler of sculpted prims, whose landscaping makes Second Life a beautiful place to visit.

Meadhbh Hamrick, striving to get a pack of assorted vendors and technologists to march in the same direction on interoperability standards for virtual worlds.

And of course, Cynthia Gonsalves, beloved wielder of x-rays, focused ion beams, and knitting needles.

Anita Roland at NorthernVoice in Vancouver, BC.

Originally uploaded by roland.

Back in 1999 and 2000, Anita Rowland helped bridge the online journaling and weblog communities, with her weblog and her journal, Anita’s Book of Days, she also helped run the Seattle Blogger Meetups. I met Anita through Science Fiction Fandom, especially Potlatch where she ran the hospitality suite whenever it was held in Seattle.

For the past few years, she fought off cancer, but today, she died.

Cynthia and I are grateful that she was well enough to travel this summer and go to Japan for the World Science Fiction convention where we last saw her.

My condolences to her husband, Jack William Bell, and to all of my friends in Seattle Fandom’s Vanguard crew who helped them with looking after grandchildren, rides to the doctor, cooking and cleaning.

Dammit, Anita, you are well-loved and will be missed.

ETA: Jack has opened a memorial post on LJ for our memories of Anita.

Shelley Powers points back at Frank Paynter’s interview with Anita from a few years ago.