User:Philcha

I've been asked by my good friend, Mattisse, to inform the Wikipedia community of Philcha's death on June 4, 2012. I really didn't know Philcha well, he was one of those editors who was always there, always helping, with very little drama. I've just spent the last few minutes looking over Philcha's talk page. His interests were broad, from science fiction to zoology. While our loss is not as great as that of the wife he leaves behind him, it is still considerable.

While Mattisse is not able to edit directly, I think I can do no better than quoting what she says in her email to me.

"Philcha struggled for three years with his aggressive brain tumor, always continuing to try to edit wikipedia. Others knew of his struggles and were kind about his obviously failing abilities. He kept in regular contact with me. I can't write this without becoming overwhelmed with a painful sorrow. He was so upbeat and special and above all, kind. He had just written me that he had already lived two years beyond the one year he was given after diagnosis, but his deterioration was evident. He never complained."

--Wehwalt (talk) 21:23, 10 June 2012 (UTC)

Philip Chalmers, called Philcha at Wikipedia, was taken ill on 3 December 2009 and diagnosed as having a brain tumour – a grade 4 glioblastoma multiforme. Following a debulking operation in Kings College Hospital, London, on 31 December 2009 (cutting out the inside of the tumour), Philip has received radiotherapy and chemotherapy at Maidstone Hospital from mid-February to the end of March 2010, and courses of chemotherapy at times later.

The average life expectancy for patients with grade 4 primary brain cancers is 1 year. To date Philip has survived for 2¼ years and is hoping to have several more productive years.

Please mention no names!

Things I've done
I don't do Featured Articles, as I reckon I can do at least 2 Good Articles in the same time, which is better for readers. This and the first paragraph of this are good examples of the extra work required for FAs.

Improved and got passed as GA

 * Arts and literature
 * Dragon's Egg — Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets — Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone — James White (author) — Robert Rossen — Sector General


 * Chess
 * Alexander Alekhine — Adolf Anderssen — Emanuel Lasker — Howard Staunton — Wilhelm Steinitz


 * Video games:
 * 4X (with Randomran) — Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares — Warcraft: Orcs & Humans


 * Paleontology
 * Evolutionary history of life — Fossils of the Burgess Shale (with Smith609) — Kimberella (with Smith609) — Opabinia — Paleontology (with Smith609) — Small shelly fauna


 * Sport
 * Jim Baxter — Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares — Warcraft: Orcs & Humans


 * Zoology
 * Annelid — Arthropod — Brachiopod — Bryozoa — Chelicerata — Cnidaria — Ctenophora (phylum) — Entoprocta — Flatworm — Maevia inclemens — Mollusca — Nemertea — Phaeacius — Phoronid — Portia fimbriata — Portia labiata — Portia schultzi — Spider (GA reassessment) — Sponge

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Video_games/Reference_library

DYKs that appeared on the Main Page
Agronomic revolution — Jim Baxter — Halofolliculina corallasia — Maevia inclemens — Microbial mat — Phaeacius — Phidippus clarus — Portia fimbriata — Portia labiata —  Phylactolaemata — Precambrian rabbit — Turbellaria

New articles

 * Arts
 * Culture series — Mambo (film)


 * Natural sciences
 * Ausktribosphenidae — Carrier's constraint — Chancelloriidae — Coracoid — Crurotarsal — Dead Clade Walking — Debate about Cambrian Lophotrochozoans if not merged later — Epipubic bone — Evolution of mammals — End-Botomian mass extinction — Epidermis (zoology) — Follicle (anatomy) — Gut (zoology) — Interclavicle — Kuehneotheriidae — Meckelian groove — Microbial mat — Operculum (animal) — Pedicel (spider) — Portia schultzi — Sinotubulites — Suture (anatomical)


 * Everyday life
 * Alan Emrich — Development of the World Chess Championship if not merged later — Staunton–Morphy controversy


 * Engineering and technology
 * History of IBM mainframe operating systems — OS/360 and successors


 * Social sciences and society
 * Memory confusion protocol

GAs I've reviewed and passed

 * Arts & entertainment
 * Homer the Moe — Phineas and Ferb — The Rejected  — Rocket Science (film)


 * Botany and mycology
 * Amanita abrupta — Augustin Pyramus de Candolle


 * History
 * Battle of Carillon


 * Music
 * His Band and the Street Choir — Mr. Tambourine Man


 * Paleontology
 * Tyrannosauridae


 * Society and business
 * Great Southern Group


 * Sport
 * Ashot Nadanian — Field lacrosse — Lisa Moretti — Milo of Croton — York Park


 * Zoology
 * American White Ibis - Blotchy swell shark — Golden White-eye — Northern Bald Ibis — Potcake dog — Rufous-crowned Sparrow — Sperm Whale — Varanus salvadorii

DYKs I've reviewed
Ashot Nadanian — California On-Road Heavy-Duty Diesel Vehicles Regulation — Russell and Sigurd Varian — Spelling of Shakespeare's name

Contributed to FAs
Tyrannosaurus

Contributed to FA reviews
Fertilisation of Orchids — Corn Crake

Projects

 * Phylactolaemata

Awards I have given

 * The Reviewer's Barnstar to Kaldari - 15:55, 10 September 2011
 * Special Award to Keetanii for merging to create Akita (dog) - 18:14, 6 September 2011
 * The Special Barnstar to Casliber - 10:06, 22 July 2011
 * The Special Barnstar to Smith609 - 10:30, 7 July 2011
 * The Reviewer's Barnstar to RJH - 09:55, 7 July 2011
 * Photographer's Barnstar to Kaldari - 11:02, 17 May 2011 (UTC)
 * The Anti-Vandalism Barnstar to Danger - 20:50, 1 May 2011 (UTC)
 * The Invisible Barnstar to Dispenser - 06:27, 21 June 2010 (UTC)
 * The Tireless Contributor Barnstar to Stemonitis - 16:16, 15 June 2010 (UTC)
 * Barnstar of Diligence to NYMFan69-86 - 23:29, 7 June 2010 (UTC)
 * Guidance Barnstar to JimmyButler - 22:52, 7 June 2010 (UTC)
 * InvisibleBarnstar to SunCreator - 17:43, 26 May 2010 (UTC)
 * The Cleanup Barnstar to Rjwilmsi - 15:08, 21 May 2010 (UTC)
 * What a Brilliant Idea Barnstar to Visionholder - 22:36, 30 April 2010 (UTC)
 * The Barnstar of Integrity to Teancum - 01:40, 30 January 2010 (UTC)
 * The Good Friend Award to Malleus Fatuorum - 07:52, 18 December 2009 (UTC)
 * The Good Friend Award to Geometry guy - 07:50, 18 December 2009 (UTC)
 * The Good Friend Award to Mattisse - 07:49, 18 December 2009 (UTC)
 * The Reviewers Award to hamiltonstone - 07:07, 16 November 2009 (UTC)
 * The Barnstar of Peace to Ottava Rima - 16:40, 20 August 2009 (UTC)
 * The Bio-Star to Rusty Cashman - 12:14, 13 August 2009 (UTC)
 * The Bio-Star to dave souza - 12:03, 9 August 2009 (UTC)
 * The Good Article Reviewer's Barnstar to Mattisse - 09:01, 14 April 2009 (UTC)
 * The Cleanup Barnstar to Michael Devore - 12:12, 14 January 2009 (UTC)
 * The Mensch's Barnstar to TimVickers - 19:18, 13 January 2009 (UTC)
 *  The Barnstar of Peace to SyG - 22:43, 18 August 2008 (UTC)
 *  The Barnstar of Diligence to SyG - 19:25, 6 July 2008 (UTC)
 *  The Working Man's Barnstar to Quale - 11:22, 29 May 2008 (UTC)