As some of you may have noticed, our last blog post was on February 18th. The very next day, on February 15th, 2025, Yvonne Vanslageren—cofounder of this blog and my dear friend—passed away after a short battle with illness. She was 55 years old. Her unexpected loss has been devastating to her family, her colleagues, and to me personally.
When I first received the news, I couldn’t bring myself to return to the blog, which is why I’m sharing this with you only now. In those early days, I questioned whether I could continue the blog at all. Yvonne and I built this project together over the past 18 months, and her presence was in every part of it. But as time passed, I began to see the value in what she created here and why it is important for me to continue our work. The knowledge she shared remains an incredible resource for all of us in the SQL Server community, and I believe it’s something we can continue to learn from and build upon.
There will be some changes coming to the blog, and I’ll talk more about those in time. But today, I just want to take a moment to honor Yvonne—for who she was and what she gave us. I couldn’t have asked for a better mentor, a more brilliant engineer, or a more loyal friend. Yvonne was the best SQL Server engineer I’ve ever had the privilege of working with.
Thank you, Yvonne, for everything.
RIP Yvonne.
It’s heartbreaking to hear about the loss of Yvonne. Her contributions to the SQL Server community were truly invaluable. Continuing the blog in her honor is a beautiful way to keep her legacy alive. It’s clear how much she meant to you and everyone who worked with her. How will the upcoming changes to the blog reflect Yvonne’s vision and expertise?
Yvonne vanslageren was my mother.
Mom I miss you so much I love you with all my heart. R.I.P
Worked very closely with Yvonne ever since my first assignment in Canada a great SQL Engineer and an amazing sounding board. She will be missed… RIP Yvonne!