It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of Bill Gottfried, who passed away last week at age 85. He and his wife Toby have been a mainstay at mystery conventions for many, many years. It was always a pleasure to chat with them over the years. They were both very knowledgeable about the world of mystery fiction and it was a delight for us to see such a couple sharing their passion for mystery.

They were also heavily involved with the successful operation of the Left Coast Crime Convention and should be commended for their efforts.

In 2009 we were honored to present Bill and Toby Gottfried with the Don Sandstrom Lifetime Achievement in Mystery Fandom Award.

Bill and Toby live in Orinda, California, the same town that my in-laws lived in many years ago. I can remember calling up Bill one time when I was in Orinda and trying to wrangle an invitation to visit their house to see their fabled collection of thousands of mysteries. Instead I was invited to attend one of Janet Rudolph’s soiree’s, which was a more than acceptable alternative.

Bill will be sorely missed and my sincere condolences go out to Toby and their family.