RIP Woodie Flowers

Sadness continues to be expressed following the news of the passing of Dr. Woodie Flowers. Woodie was known and revered by many as a result of his tireless support and inspiration for those involved in FIRST Robotics, the most prominent and significant STEAM Education effort that I'm aware of.

Below a few noteworthy items that have crossed my screen over the past few hours; RIP Woodie!

Mark

This one, below, from Gary Israel of 2Train Robotics (FIRST Team from Morris High School - Bronx, NYC)...

It is with a heavy heart that I share that Dr. Woodie Flowers has passed away due to medical complications. 2Train extends our deepest condolences to Woodie’s wife, Margaret, and all of his loved ones. He will be greatly missed by 2Train and the entire FIRST (For Inspiration, Science and Technology) community.

Dr. Woodie Flowers was Co-Chair of the FIRST Executive Advisory Board, Distinguished Advisor to FIRST, and Pappalardo Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Woodie was involved with FIRST since the very beginning. He was critical to establishing the ethos of FIRST by coining the term Gracious Professionalism® and nurturing its meaning in his every action.

This Spring Woodie was gracious enough to be with 2 Train when we were honored on the field at Yankee Stadium: the following day he attended our 20th anniversary celebration luncheon hosted by Columbia University. Photos below.

On a personal note I have been blessed to have known Woodie for 20 years and am honored to have received the NYC Woodie Flowers Finalist Award in April.

Warmest regards,

Gary

Dr. Woodie Flowers

FIRST Executive Advisory Board Co-Chair & Distinguished Advisor

Dr. Woodie Flowers is the Pappalardo Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Distinguished Partner at Olin College. Dr. Flowers serves as Distinguished Advisor to FIRST and participated in the design of the FIRST Robotics Competition game for many years.
Dr. Flowers helped create MIT's renowned course "Introduction to Design." He also received national recognition in his role as host for the PBS television series Scientific American Frontiers from 1990 to 1993 and received a New England EMMY Award for a special PBS program on design. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He recently received The Joel and Ruth Spria Outstanding Design Educator Award from ASME, a Public Service Medal from NASA, and a Doctor Honoris Causa from Andreas Bello University in Chile. He is a MacVicar Faculty Fellow at MIT for extraordinary contributions to undergraduate education. He was also the Inaugural Recipient of the Woodie Flowers Award by FIRST. Currently, Dr. Flowers is a director of three companies. He and his wife Margaret live in Weston, Massachusetts.
Source: https://www.firstinspires.org/about/leadership/dr-woodie-flowers