Thomas-Hanratty-Obituary

Thomas Hanratty

Champaign, Illinois

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DIED
August 24, 2016
LOCATION
Champaign, Illinois

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Owens Funeral Home - Champaign Obituary

Thomas J. Hanratty died at 7:41 am Wednesday (Aug. 24, 2016) at Carle Foundation Hospital, Urbana.

There will be a visitation from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Wednesday August 31, 2016 at Owens Funeral Home, 101 N. Elm St., Champaign. Funeral Mass will be at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday September 1, 2016...

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I graduated in 1996 but I have never forgotten Dr. Hanratty, he was my favorite ChE professor. I will always remember his classes still using the overhead projector with his handwritten notes. He was approachable, caring, and a great teacher. I can also still picture the day he was handing back tests and called out the name of a classmate of mine, Joy Day, and after saying her name he said "Oh, that's beautiful". It summed up his personality for me. I wish the family condolences...

Phil Reiss and Tom Hanratty 6-25-2015

It is with great sadness that I learned today that Tom Hanratty has passed away. I was one of his graduate students from 1958 to 1960. Tom had a major impact on my life while I was a student and for the many years after. He was an inspiration, a mentor, and best of all a great friend.

I had the good fortune to be able to visit Tom on June 25, 2016 in his home in Champaign (see photo)I was visiting my daughter Elizabeth at her home in Chicago. We contacted Tom and drove to...

Phil Reiss with Tom Hanratty June 25, 2016

I will never forget the many times I knocked on Professor Hanratty's door seeking advice. On entering he was was frequently deep in thought with his feet up on his desk, surrounded by stacks of paper, many in his own neat and distinctive handwriting. I never left without uncommon insights or fatherly encouragement.

I also remember uncomfortable pauses during his lectures in advanced fluid dynamics. He would stare out the window and we would all wonder what problems he had just...

Tom Hanratty oversaw the greatest transition period of my life.
I would not be the person, the scholar, the scientist, or the teacher
that I hope I have become had it not been for the time I spent as
his graduate student. His mentoring was not always direct, but it always
pushed me to become an educated, cultured individual with a respect
for the accomplishments of others. The dignity that he gave to the
academic profession will not soon be surpassed.

Please accept my sincere condolences.

I had the pleasure to spend several months in Professor Hanratty's laboratory in 1997. I remember his modesty, humbleness and warmth, his deep interest in measurement data (velocity fields and Reynolds stresses were favorites), long discussions, and long walks through Chicago and Brussels during conference visits. He was and is one of my role models in science. I miss him.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Joan and family. You have our deepest sympathy.

Tom was my very best advisor and a good friend. Our condolences to his family.

My sympathies to the family on having lost such a gracious and kind man.