New Delhi: Stephen Wilhite, 74, one of the lead creators of the looping animated GIF image, has passed away due to complications from COVID-19. He had contracted coronavirus earlier this month and he was admitted to the hospital. His wife Kathaleen Wilhite was also infected with the virus.
Kathaleen had also contracted the coronavirus and got the GIF creator admitted to a hospital in Milford, Ohio, near their home where he was treated with antibiotics before being placed in intensive care, according to a report published by NPR. The pair couldn't see each other because of her diagnosis and Stephen was ultimately placed in a coma.
He passed away after developing complications and his wife was called by the hospital staff on March 14. Soon after Kathaleen visited the hospital Stephen passed away. He was surrounded by his family in his final moments.
Stephen Wilhite was one of the lead inventors of GIF, or Graphics Interchange Format, which is now used for reactions, messages, and jokes. He created the GIF while being employed at CompuServe in the 1980s. He retired around the early 2000s and spent his time traveling, camping, and building model trains in his basement, according to a report by The Verge.
While over the years it was debated how GIF is supposed to be pronounced, it was only in 2013 when Stephen settled the debate, declaring that it is pronounced with a soft "g". However, some people still use a hard "g" when they use the word.