Professor Carl Woese has passed from this world. While I recently discussed one of his papers in a post, I simply dont have the time to properly eulogize his loss and what he has meant to microbiology right now. It would be a long article. Also, I did not have the pleasure to know him personally and so im sure there are scientists better qualified to do so. Many others are noting his loss and what he has meant to them and the science of microbiology, and will likely continue to do so for some time. A few posts from other sites are linked below for now.
RIP Professor Woese!
Announcement from Univ. Illinois: http://www.igb.illinois.edu/news/carl-r-woese-1928-%E2%80%93-2012
Microbes Rule Blog Post: http://microbesrule.blogspot.com/2012/12/a-sad-post-rip-carl-woese.html
News Gazette: http://www.news-gazette.com/news/university-illinois/2012-12-30/visionary-ui-biologist-carl-woese-84-dies.html
Phylogenomics Blog Post: http://phylogenomics.blogspot.com/2012/12/rip-carl-woese-collecting-posts-notes.html
T. Taxus Blog Post: http://ttaxus.blogspot.com/2012/12/carl-woese-1928-2012.html
NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/01/science/carl-woese-dies-discovered-lifes-third-domain.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0
Pharyngula Blog Post: http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2012/12/30/so-long-and-thanks-for-all-the-archaea/
Wired Magazine: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/01/carl-woese-revolutionary-biologist/
C.W. Schadt | ORNL-UTK Microbial Ecology Lab 