Computer scientist Steve Wilhite wife, family, net worth, children, death

Computer scientist Steve Wilhite wife, family, net worth, children, death

Stephen E. Wilhite was an American computer scientist who worked at CompuServe and was the Engineering Lead on the team that adapted the GIF image file format from the previously owned LZW algorithm of Unisys. GIF went on to become the Internet’s de facto standard for 8-bit color graphics until PNG became a viable alternative. Wilhite died of COVID-19 in March 2022, at the age of 74, in a hospital near his home in Milford, Ohio. Kathaleen Wilhite, Steve Wilhite wife, said she was at home when she received a call from the hospital telling her she needed to come right away. Her husband died not long after she came. Come down to learn more about Steve Wilhite wife, family, net worth, children, death, and other details:

Who was Steve Wilhite wife Kathaleen Wilhite? Their wedding and children

Steve Wilhite wife
The inventor of the GIF, Steve Wilhite Source: Usmail24

Kathaleen Wilhite was only the love of his life.  Stephen Wilhite leaves behind his wife Kathaleen, a son, four stepchildren, 11 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. There is no information available regarding her occupation. Although the couple married while he was working, the specific date and location remain unknown. The couple has persevered through every storm and difficulty that life has thrown their way, and their love has remained strong and loving. He also appears to be a trustworthy and devoted person, with no extramarital affairs, gossip, or scandal in his personal life. Steve Wilhite wife and children will miss him greatly. 

To everyone’s surprise, his wife confirmed his demise. The Wilhites had recently acquired a new truck and camper with the intention of camping in some of their favorite locations in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Michigan. Sadly, everything has changed now that Stephen has said his goodbyes to the world. Wilhite acquired the illness two weeks before his death and was hospitalized near their Milford, Ohio, home, according to his wife Kathaleen Wilhite.

“It came on suddenly. He woke up one morning and he said, ‘Honey, I don’t feel good. I don’t feel good at all,’” Kathaleen recalled. “And he was running a fever, throwing up so badly. And then the next day he started coughing badly,” she told the publication.

On Monday, Kathaleen said she was at home when she received a call from the hospital informing her she needed to come in. Her husband died not long after she came.

“It’s just so bad. It’s just so tragic,” she told NPR.

The inventor of the GIF, Steve Wilhite net worth: How much he earned from his entire career?

The net worth of Steve Wilhite at the time of his death could surprise you. He was a CompuServe engineer who led the team that modified the GIF picture file format from the Unisys-owned LZW algorithm. Until PNG emerged as a viable alternative, GIF became the de facto standard for 8-bit color images on the Internet. Mr Wilhite got a Webby Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012, on the 25th anniversary of the GIF, for his “immense impact on the way people interact with the Web.” Steve Wilhite has a net worth of $90 million dollars.

Prior to joining CompuServe Information Manager, he led a team that developed compilers and run-time systems for the DECsystem-10 computers, which were CompuServe’s primary computing platforms. The Fortran and BASIC compilers and run-time systems, as well as a large library named “BTOOLS” to assist BLISS programming, were particularly remarkable.

Career and struggle of Mr. Steve Wilhite 

The GIF (Graphic Interchange Format) was created by Wilhite’s team at CompuServe in 1987. By 2016, website design, social media posts, process documentation, and how-to guides had all adopted the format. Wilhite worked at CompuServe/AOL until the first decade of the twenty-first century, on a variety of CompuServe systems. CompuServe’s wire protocols, such as the Host Micro Interface (HMI) and CompuServe B protocol for the CompuServe Information Manager (CIM), were among them, as were new service features in the early 1990s, Web chat software in the late 1990s, and research into Web community models until his departure in 2001 due to a stroke.

Prior to joining CompuServe Information Manager, he led a team that developed compilers and run-time systems for the DECsystem-10 computers, which were CompuServe’s primary computing platforms. The Fortran and BASIC compilers and run-time systems, as well as a large library named “BTOOLS” to assist BLISS programming, were particularly remarkable.

Wilhite’s name comes up regularly in discussions on how to pronounce the GIF acronym. “Both pronunciations are accepted by the Oxford English Dictionary,” Wilhite stated. “They are mistaken. End of story. It’s a gentle ‘G,’ pronounced ‘jif.'” The intended pronunciation is meant to sound like Jif, a popular American peanut butter brand.

Steve Wilhite dead: How did he die? What was the cause of The inventor of the GIF ’s death?

Wilhite died of COVID-19 on March 20, 2022, at the age of 74, in a hospital near his home in Milford, Ohio. COVID-19 was contracted by Steve Wilhite, the beloved developer of the GIF file format, on March 1.

“It came on suddenly. He woke up one morning and he said, ‘Honey, I don’t feel good. I don’t feel good at all.’ And he was running a fever, throwing up so badly. And then the next day he started coughing badly,” Kathaleen Wilhite told NPR over the phone Wednesday night.

Kathaleen, who had also contracted COVID-19, had Steve taken to a hospital near their home in Milford, Ohio, where he was treated with antibiotics before being placed in intensive care. The pair couldn’t see each other because of her diagnosis, she said. Steve was ultimately placed in a coma. Kathaleen tested negative on or about March 10 and was able to be by his bedside, she said. Then she received a call on March 14 from the hospital.

“They said, ‘Mrs. Wilhite, you need to get here right away,’ that ‘he has turned to the worse, and you need to come,’ ” Kathaleen said, recalling the conversation.

Shortly after her arrival, Steve passed away due to complications from COVID-19, Kathaleen said. 

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