Drupal Community Mourns the Loss of Alanna Burke

Members of the Drupal and open-source communities are mourning the loss of Alanna Burke, whose work in advocacy, documentation, and community leadership left a lasting impact across the technology ecosystem.

Alanna passed away earlier this week. At the time of her passing, she worked as an Information Solutions Engineer at Meta, supporting open-source AI documentation initiatives. Before joining Meta directly, she worked at HCLTech as Lead Writer supporting Meta’s open-source documentation efforts.

Before that, Alanna spent nearly five years at amazee.io as Community Manager, Developer Advocate, and Documentation Writer. During that time, she became a widely recognised presence across Drupal events, documentation initiatives, contributor spaces, and community advocacy work.

Her contributions extended beyond technical writing and developer relations. Alanna served as a track chair for DrupalCon North America, participated in Drupal Diversity and Inclusion leadership efforts, and worked with the Drupal Community Working Group as an ambassador to Drupal Diversity and Inclusion.

People who worked alongside her frequently remembered her ability to make others feel welcome in technical spaces. Alanna often spoke about the professor who encouraged her to move from theatre studies into computer science, an experience that shaped her own approach to mentorship and community support throughout her career.

“Truly heartbroken to hear the news of Alanna Burke’s passing. She was such a wonderful and kind human being — passionate about animal welfare and taking care of humans.”

Fatima Sarah Khaled, Senior Developer Advocate at GitLab, shared the tribute as members of the Drupal community began posting condolences and personal remembrances following news of Alanna’s passing.

Outside of her professional work, Alanna also served as a board member for a small animal rescue organisation. Community organisations across Drupal, including MidCamp, have since shared tributes recognising her advocacy work, documentation contributions, and support for underrepresented people in technology.

Members of The DropTimes team also remember Alanna’s support and kindness during DrupalCon Portland 2024, where she helped with community activities surrounding the event.

Community members have also continued contributing in Alanna’s memory following the completion of the original fundraising goal for funeral arrangements. A memorial fundraiser remains available for those wishing to support causes and initiatives she cared about throughout her life through a community memorial fundraiser.

The DropTimes extends condolences to Alanna Burke’s family, friends, colleagues, and the wider Drupal and open-source communities.