Requiem for a software developer.

I use this blog to discuss two principle topics: software development and software development.  It is an exciting topic, and the people who build software represent some of the best traits in the human species.  Today, I want to talk about one of them.

Carla Robinson was an anomaly in the technology business.  She dedicated most of her career to one company.  Carla spent the bulk of her career at R.R. Donnelly, and when the company split, she joined one of the spin-offs, LSC Communications.  She worked with AS/400 systems and wrote RPG code.  It was hours of staring into green screens and sorting through reams of sequential code.  She kept a legacy system alive, and as the technology business changed, she rolled with these changes. 

I knew Carla as her scrum master.  She was learning how to write C# code and unit tests.  Her manual testing skills and business knowledge made her invaluable to her team.  Often, she was able to answer questions about the product and how it helped the business.  She was a person of good spirits when times were tough.  Finally, she would not accept grief from anyone and demanded respect. 

She loved Bessie Smith, vintage Prince, and anything to do with dusty radio.  She was a colleague and, to many, a friend.  The world is a little less fascinating without her.  I imagine her enjoying some step dancing in the afterlife and feeling a sense of pride about a life and career well lived. 

Fair forward and not farewell, Carla.