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šŸ› ļø In Memory of Bill Roth (Goeytex): Engineer, Educator, Quiet Architect of Progress

Anobium
2025-08-24
2025-09-10
  • Anobium

    Anobium - 2025-08-24

    William (Bill) Roth was one of the finest engineers I have ever known passed away today.

    A veteran, a mentor, and a master of embedded systems, Bill’s legacy lives on in the tools we use, the code we write, and the communities he quietly nurtured.

    šŸŽ–ļø A Life of Service and Precision

    Bill served his country with honor before embarking on a long and distinguished engineering career. He worked at Dell and many other companies, always bringing his signature blend of rigor, creativity, and humility. But it was in the trenches of microcontroller development—especially with PIC devices—that I came to know him best.

    🧠 Eleven Years of Quiet Brilliance

    For over 13 years, Bill poured his time and expertise into the embedded systems community—especially into GCBASIC, where his contributions were both foundational and transformative. He never sought recognition. In fact, he actively avoided the spotlight. But I insisted that his work be attributed to him. Because it mattered. Because he mattered.

    Bill would work on an issue until it was resolved completely—not 90%, not almost there, but 100%. He’d write full analysis reports, dissect compiler behavior, and propose elegant, robust solutions. And he enjoyed it. He found joy in the process, in the precision, and in the knowledge that someone else would benefit from the clarity he created.

    🐣 The Incubator Analogy

    At home Bill quietly and successfully built chicken egg incubators—devices that maintain the precise temperature, humidity, and ventilation needed for life to emerge. That was Bill in a nutshell. He developed ideas, turned them into reality, and then stepped back as others benefited from what he built.

    He didn’t just hatch solutions—he created environments where others could grow, learn, and thrive. His work was the incubator for countless innovations.

    šŸ”§ A Force Behind GCBASIC and Beyond

    Bill’s contributions tp GCBASIC were immense:

    • Compiler logic and ASM optimization
    • LATx-safe macros and RMW hazard prevention
    • A complete library
    • A complete re-write of libraries
    • Demonstration programs and reusable code snippets
    • Annotated documentation and simulation models

    His name is forever etched into the libraries, the examples, and the solutions we rely on. His work made our tools smarter, our code safer, and our understanding deeper.

    šŸ’¬ Personal Reflections

    I knew Bill for a long time. He was one of the greatest engineers I’ve ever met—not just for his technical brilliance, but for his integrity, his work ethic, and his joy in the craft. He didn’t just fix bugs—he understood them, documented them, and taught others how to avoid them. He made the tools we use better, and he made the people around him better too.

    šŸ•Æļø Legacy

    The benefits to the community are his legacy. His name will be forever remembered in the solutions, the demonstration programs, the libraries, and the snippets. Rest well, Bill.

    You showed us what it means to care deeply, think clearly, and build things that last.

     
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  • Angel Mier

    Angel Mier - 2025-08-24

    My prayers to he and his family, rest in peace.

     
  • Fabrice Engel

    Fabrice Engel - 2025-08-25

    Sorry to read that, rest in peace.

     
  • stan cartwright

    stan cartwright - 2025-08-25

    Just read the news on mmbasic forum. Sad for all who actually knew him.

     
  • JANIS

    JANIS - 2025-08-27

    I am very sad to hear that such a special person has passed away....

     
  • tony_g

    tony_g - 2025-09-08

    holy heck, now ive sat down to actually start getting caught up and am actually pating attention to the posts , this is so sad and heartbreaking to hear.

    the fantastic goeytex was the one who pointed me in this direction of GCB once i realised id reached my limit with what i could do with the picaxe, but im gonna guess bill managed to bring alot of us here from various forums and learning places when we started asking "this is great, but where can i go next?"

    over the years of posting on forums for help that he was part of, no matter the problem it seemed bill would always find some sort of way to make it work or at least get you moving enough so you could keep plugging on.

    i always looked forward to reading his replies and the detailed breakdown he would give of why it wasnt working and where you went wrong and how to go about fixing it, and if you didnt quite understand a part of it he had a way of somehow breaking it down and making it more understandable, like many, he gave me a better understanding of what was going on and has greatly contributed to my learning of this thing as a whole

    his loss truly is such a great and impactfull one, anyone whos had the chance to converse with him will know what we have lost, im just shocked, definately tying to keep it together now

    thank you for the wisdom, guidance and the patience you so happily gave to all mr william roth, R.I.P.

     
    • Anobium

      Anobium - 2025-09-09

      I miss him.

      Yesterday, I was working on a project and his name was in the header credits of the code I was using. His name will be in the code forever.

       
  • tony_g

    tony_g - 2025-09-09

    my latest project idea thats brought me back to making again irionically revolves entirely around bills NRF radio code, thats been my kicker these last few weeks to get organised and started on that,

    i only wish i could have known him a bit more, i hope his family know how much he truly was admired and adored by all these forums and the people he crossed paths with along the way

    that truly shows the measure of a person when you can barely know them but feel such a loss when theyre gone,

    you knew him so much better evan, so i cant imagine how your feeling with this, but my sincerest condolances and sympathy for such a tremendous loss, more so to all of you close to him

    as you said, his name is eveywhere now here in GCB, his legacy as an individual already exists, and for anyone of us who did have time and chances to engage and converse with him will truly know that he was in his own unique category as an individual

     
    • Anobium

      Anobium - 2025-09-09

      I am talking with his family. I have collated the comments and shared. They are very very grateful.

       
  • tony_g

    tony_g - 2025-09-09

    thanks evan,

    im sitting here grappling with the fact that i hardly knew him but, his effect and reach as a person was so immense that it just feels like it should when you lose someone you knew most of your life
    i guess it really doesnt take much in life to leave an impression on people in a good way that just lasts, and hes certainly done that over the years.

    i think i may just have to go and have a cry, a big comforting hug to you too evan

    tony.

     
    šŸ‘
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    Last edit: tony_g 2025-09-09

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