Bill apparently was a tireless reporter during his career with the Oakland Tribune (they have a great write-up on him). That dedication definitely carried over to his beer reporting; it seems like every picture I saw of Bill recently showed him at a bar or restaurant with his laptop or pen and paper in hand.

For many of us who never had the pleasure of meeting him, we know him most as a beer journalist. He had kept up with his ‘What’s on Tap’ articles for nearly 15 years heading into 2009. An impressive streak for someone who had reached 70 years of age. And it would turn into no ordinary column…’What’s on Tap’ was truly the best of the best.

He will be missed by the beer community, and it is evident already. Honorary toasts were part of Beer Advocate’s Extreme Beer Fest on Friday and will continue Saturday. There are threads at Beer Advocate and RateBeer. There have been over 100 comments in the last 24 hours on Twitter. And another 60+ comments on the article announcing his passing on his own blog.

You’ve touched many lives, Bill. Rest in peace.