It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that we share the devastating news of the passing of Zeel Thakkar, a beloved member of the WordPress community and organiser of WordCamp Asia 2026.
Zeel, who is from Ahmedabad, was attending WordCamp Surat on November 16, and was rushed to the hospital as she took ill. Tragically she did not survive.
The entire WordPress community, both locally and globally are in a state of shock at this sudden and heartbreaking loss.
Zeel’s legacy
Zeel was a prominent member of the WordPress Ahmedabad community. She served as an co-organizer for WordCamp Ahmedabad 2023 and 2025. She organised do_action Ahmedabad 2024 showcased her commitment to using WordPress for non-profit causes.
She was a contributor to WordPress 6.7 “Rollins” and 6.8 “Cecil”.
She was also very active in the Training Team of the WordPress.org project.
In 2024, Zeel was the recipient of the Kim Parsell Memorial Scholarship and travelled to Manila, Philippines as both a volunteer and scholarship winner at WordCamp Asia 2025.
Locally this year she organised the WP Nari Ahmedabad event which was aimed at women in tech and WordPress.
Finally, Zeel joined our team as an organiser in the Operations team.
Remembrance
The loss of someone so bright, talented and full of promise is deeply painful. Her passion for learning and her desire to help others realize WordPress’s potential defined her contributions.
She found fulfillment in empowering others to explore what WordPress offers, and her collaborative spirit touched countless lives.
Zeel’s legacy will live on through the communities she built and the countless contributions she made to WordPress.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Zeel’s immediate family, friends, and all who knew and loved her.
Om Shanti!