I first met Bill in on August 26, 2014 when I barely knew how to spell SEO! I sent him a note with a question, and in spite of the fact that he was quite busy and didn't know me at all, took the time to call me that day to answer my question.
Bill gets questions from people all over the world, given the leading-edge nature of his work puts him in high demand. He is always generous with sharing his deep knowledge, courteous, kind, and respectful to everyone, demonstrating great patience while the slower of us race to catch up with his thinking.
This photo is from the 2014 Semantic Technology and Business Conference in San Diego where I presented on how adding standardized GS1 markup to web pages drives increased traffic, conversion, and sales. The photo includes Aaron Bradley, Barbara Starr, and Greg Kellogg, with Bill (as always) in the background.
Sharing my best wishes for a full and speedy recovery, and willing to help from the East coast if I can!
Rich Richardson