Wikipedia Editor, Adrianne Wadewitz, has died after succumbing to injuries sustained while rock climbing.
According to The New York Times, Wadewitz, 37, sustained her injuries on March 29 while rock climbing in Joshua Tree National Park. She passed away April 8.
A scholar of 18-century British literature, Wadewitz’s job at Wikipedia focused mainly around biographies on the website from individuals who lived during that time period.
According to The Desert Sun, Wadewitz was a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Digital Learning and Research at Occidental College in Los Angeles.
“It is a huge loss for Wikipedia. She may have been our single biggest contributor on these topics — female authors, women’s history,” said Sue Gardner, the executive director of the foundation in San Francisco that runs Wikipedia.
Wadewitz only took up rock climbing in the last couple of years and viewed her new hobby as something of a turning point in her life, describing it as “a new narrative about herself beyond that of a bookish, piano-playing Wikipedia contributor.”
Wadewitz is survived by her partner, Peter B. James, and he parents, Rev. Dr. Nathan R. Wadewitz and Betty M. Wadewitz.