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Alan ASTBURY Obituary
Memories and Condolences
for Alan ASTBURY
37 Entries
October 20, 2014
During the time I spent at TRIUMF (1998-2005) I had Dr. Alan Astbury as the Director of the Canadian National Physics Laboratory. He was a renowned physicist in the international sphere, a Director of high administrative standards and, to say the least, had a gifted British humor. He will be remembered fondly by physicists who had the opportunity to interact with him. My sympathies go to his family and to all who have him in their thoughts.
Miguel Olivo, Endingen, Switzerland.
David Jones
October 14, 2014
In recent years, Alan had more than once referred publically to the value of friendships made in our student years, and also the great sense of loss when in later life these friendships are taken away from us.
I share his feelings, and I like to think that I was one of the people he had in mind.
Our paths first crossed in 1955, and we became much closer a couple of years later, when I joined him as a graduate student at the Nuclear Physics Research Laboratory at Liverpool University. He became one of my closest friends through all the intervening years.
Now it falls to me, along with the many others who have contributed to this guest book, to feel that sense of loss.
Many have written about his humanity, his wit, and his understanding. I can do no more than echo these comments. I will miss him, indeed am already missing him, more than I can say in this forum.
To Cathy, Elizabeth and Gillian, my love and condolences.
Pekka Sinervo
October 9, 2014
I first met Alan as a graduate student around 1984, when he was relocating to Victoria. He was introduced to me by my advisor as one of the leading physicist on the W boson discovery. He was credited with keeping some of his more exuberant colleagues honest!
Some years after that, I got to know Alan as the Director of the Institute for Particle Physics, where he reorganized the place and left it more vigorous and effective. I interacted with Alan a great deal while he was Director of TRIUMF, serving as the chair of his advisory committee. It's fair to say that one never really gave advice to Alan; rather it was a dialogue where one comes away having learnt a great deal everytime.
His irony and wit were hilarious at times: the example that comes to mind was one presentation he gave on the status of TRIUMF to the particle physics community. In the midst of it, mindful that there were a few candidates for the job in the room, he started to give advice to his successor on how to properly run the lab. It was marvellous.
My last discussion with him was associated with the Royal Society earlier this year, and I still recall how brilliant he was, especially around the human aspects of doing science.
We will all miss him, a great deal. I already do.
Michel Lefebvre
September 17, 2014
I first met Alan in 1984. Alan and Richard Keeler came to pick me up at Victoria airport early May; this was my first physics summer job outside Québec, and my first trip west of Ottawa. I was 20 years old. During that summer, I met Alan's family: his wife Kathy and his two young daughters Elizabeth and Gillian. Alan was already an internationally renewed physicists at the time. Alan has had an enormous influence on me, from these early formative years to our last meeting a few days before his passing. Alan was an exceptional man, and his impact on Canadian physics research is also exceptional. I admired his wit, his clarity of mind, his integrity, his competence, and his humanity. I cherish the memories of the time spent together, his stories, his advice, his trust, and his friendship. It is truly a privilege and a joy to have known Alan for over 30 years. Mentor, colleague, and good friend. I miss Alan very much.
Michael Roney
August 22, 2014
For those of us fortunate enough to have worked with Alan as colleagues and who have had the privilege of his friendship, this is a time of deep sadness. He has an outstanding legacy as a dedicated, effective physicist and international scientific leader. But it also is his delightful wit, unwavering integrity and strong personal commitment to individuals and family that we greatly miss. Our anguish at this time of loss is tempered with a sense of joy that we have indeed been so lucky to have had Alan in our lives.
Brigitte Vachon
August 19, 2014
It has been a professional and personal privilege to get to know Alan. He was incredibly supportive of young students and early career scientists. As a young graduate student at UVic in the late 1990s, I am truly thankful for having been the recipient of his support and encouragements, which have followed me throughout my professional life. I also reminisce fondly about his unique story telling ability, which we would all enjoy at lunch time or after a seminar. Quite simply an exceptional man who will be greatly missed.
August 19, 2014
IUPAP expresses its deep sorrow for having lost its former President (2005-2008), a wonderful colleague and a great promoter of physics:
http://iupap.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Alan-Astbury.pdf
We feel privileged to have known you.
Cecilia Jarlskog
Bob Brown
August 4, 2014
Alan was an outstanding physicist and thoroughly likeable person. I looked up to him as an inspirational role model throughout the years he worked at RAL.
Norman Lipman
August 1, 2014
We go back some 62 years with Alan.
First as fellow students at Liverpool University. Later at LRL Berkeley as Research Fellows and then onwards to Rutherford.
At Berkely we went around together much of the time as fellow British expats.
Alan, then still a bachelor was round our place for a meal, almost every week.
He was a great companion and friend to us and our little girl Susie.
We appreciated his gentle humour and courteous manner and his sharp intelligence. We had many a great outing together in Beautiful San Francisco visiting Turk Murphies jazz band and many other venues.
We send our love to his memory and to his family.
Norman and Gill Lipman and Susie
We shall miss him although this friendship was so long ago.
Janet Halliwell
August 1, 2014
Alan was enormously influential in driving Canadian subatomic physics to new levels of excellence and achievement. He will be missed
Peter Kalmus
August 1, 2014
Alan was an outstanding physicist. His judgment was excellent. It was a pleasure to have collaborated with him for 20 years at Rutherford Lab and CERN. Above all he was a great human being, kind, witty, full of humour. I very much valued our friendship which lasted 50 years, even though for the past 30 years we only met from time to time in London, Vancouver and various other parts of the world. Trixie and I send our condolences to Kathy, Elizabeth and Gillian.
Peter Kalmus.
Queen Mary University of London, UK
Don Perkins
August 1, 2014
I was privileged to know Alan for over 50 years. I first met him in 1961, when he was a graduate student at Liverpool. At that time Peter Fowler and I were investigating negative pion beams for cancer therapy, using the Liverpool cyclotron, and without Alan's help I am sure we would never have got those beams properly tuned.
I always greatly admired Alan for his straightforward and no-nonsense approach, both to physics and to his fellow-physicists, and for his unique ability to get things done. I am sure that it was to a large extent his leadership qualities that ensured that Canada would be able to play a major role in the field of particle physics, particularly in experiments at CERN. His passing is a great loss to us all.
Tommy Mark
July 30, 2014
Alan has made magnificent contributions to nuclear and particle physics through his scientific and administrative activities. He has brought honors to Canada and he will be sorry missed.
Sally and Carlos Hojvat
July 30, 2014
We shall miss Alan's warmth, his company, his stories and his professional company. Not least his letters in wonderful script!
Josie Farrell
July 30, 2014
I had the honour of working under Alan's leadership for 4 years between 1998 and 2001. How lucky I was! Always a gentleman; always ready to share his insights; a great sounding board; a very effective leader; and a humble and charming man with a witty sense of humour. Between 2001 and 2014 I enjoyed his short visits to TRIUMF, when he would pop in to say hi and we would speak about grammar and vocabulary, or he would share his latest research findings, or tell a little joke. Alan made a difference. He will be missed indeed.
Damir Lelas
July 30, 2014
My sincere condolences. As a postdoc at UVic i met professor Astbury. Still fondly remember his wit and deep physics insight. Really inspiring person.
Ewart Blackmore
July 29, 2014
I first met Alan at the Rutherford Laboratory in 1966 and was fortunate to work closely with him while he was TRIUMF director. He was a fantastic scientific leader, he knew what was important and how to get it done. His wise advice will be sorely missed. It was shock to hear of his passing and my condolences go out to Kathy and family.
Glenys Chow
July 28, 2014
My sincere condolences to the Astbury family. I had the pleasure of working with Dr. Astbury at UVic in the early 1980s.
July 28, 2014
I had the pleasure of meeting Alan at a conference in Liverpool. It was many years ago but I have a vivid memory of Alan being a combination of an excellent physicist and a very charming person and this was despite the fact that I was a young post-doc working on the rival experiment to Alan.
Tony Weidberg
Claire David
July 28, 2014
I will always remember Alan coming to my office while taking Master classes at UVic (2011) because he overheard in the corridor a conversation I had with my fellow students on the detector course. He came and explained to me the right approach. I admire his humility, kindness and serenity that I find very inspiring. You will be greatly missed.
John Martin
July 28, 2014
I knew Alan for many years, since I was a student at RAL around1970, but never managed to have the privilege of working with him on an experiment. I'm sure his geniality, wit, musicianship and leadership skills would have made that a great pleasure. In Canada we are generally proud of our immigration record, and Alan was a prime example of how important it has been in building up our young country. He has been a tremendous leader in Canadian physics. My condolences to his family on their sudden loss.
John
Philip Gardner
July 28, 2014
Alan was a very special friend and mentor. He was both an outstanding athlete and an exceptional scientist, who saw and understood issues with singular clarity.
The world lost an remarkable individual when this quiet, modest man left us. It was an honour to have known him.
Dianne and I send our sincere condolences to Kathy, Elizabeth, Gillian, and all his family who were so important to him. He will be sorely missed.
Rob McPherson
July 28, 2014
Alan was a great mentor and supporter. He was also an adviser and confident, providing insightful input on the many delicate issues that come up in particle physics, especially involving people. He will be greatly missed.
Chris Damerell
July 28, 2014
Alan and I had a similar background - PhD in UK (Liverpool for him, Oxford for me), post-doc in USA (Berkeley/Brookhaven), married American girls we met there, and a long time together at Rutherford Lab (he from 1963, me from 1967). We became firm friends and this continued ever since. It was always a delight to bump into him at conferences and share experiences. He was full of wisdom, humour and good advice. I shall miss him greatly. Joan and I send our very sincere condolences to Kathy and the girls.
Terry Sloan
July 27, 2014
Alan and I were graduate students at Liverpool in the early 1960s. He was about 3 years ahead of me. Over the years since then I met him several times allowing us to renew our friendship at each meeting. I will always value these meetings and will remember his sense of humour and the good conversations we had. We have lost a great man. I send my condolences to his family.
July 27, 2014
I worked with alan on OPAL for many years and with IPP and TRIUMF. He was a marvellous leader, a great colleague and a good friend. He will be sorely missed.
Cliff hargrove
Faqir Khanna
July 26, 2014
Alan was a wonderful friend and a remarkable Physicist.We mourn his untimely
loss to Physics.
Dr John V Morris
July 26, 2014
I knew Alan at the Rutherford Laboratory which I joined in 1978. He was chair of the promotion board (at CERN) when I made the step from Higher to Senior Scientific Officer in 1981. I remember very well his good humoured and relaxed chairing of that session, which left a lasting impression on me. So I was very sad to hear the news of his death. My thoughts and best wishes go to his family.
Richard Keeler
July 26, 2014
It has been an extraordinary privilege to have known Alan as a mentor, a colleague and a friend. He taught me a good deal of physics but mostly he showed me by example what it meant to be a wonderful human being.
Robin Marshall
July 26, 2014
Alan was an outstanding member of our science community, respected by all who knew him. He was also a true gentleman and a total credit to the human race.
Dean Karlen
July 25, 2014
Alan was a true world leader in science. His tireless efforts throughout his career and into retirement have had an enormous impact in Canadian and International physics research. While deeply grieving our loss, we are very thankful that he chose to live here and enrich our lives.
Dugan O'Neil
July 25, 2014
I first met Alan when I was a UVIC summer student in 1992. Over the last 20+ years we met again and again in various places in Canada and elsewhere. He was an unfailingly kind and helpful to me as I learned the ropes of particle physics. He was an exceptional storyteller and genuinely witty man. He managed to simultaneously be a great guy and an exceptional scientist. He will be sorely missed.
Ken Peach
July 25, 2014
Alan was a great physicist and a good friend. I always enjoyed his company, and his refreshing view on life. He was modest with little to be modest about. Liz and I send our condolences to his family and friends. We treasure his memory.
Ken
Claude Leroy
July 25, 2014
I was proud to have Alan as a colleague. He will be sorely missed
Bob Kowalewski
July 25, 2014
We'll miss this wonderful man. His was an ideal mix of intellect, wit, dedication and kindness, with which he brightened the lives of those lucky enough to have called him a friend and colleague. In time the joy of having known him will overcome the anguish of losing him but for now, our hearts ache.
Roger Hanna
July 25, 2014
Alan and I first met in 1958 in a splendid journey from the Rutherford Lab to CERN. We were in two 3-ton lorries packed with apparatus for use on the CERN synchrocyclotron.
Our task was to help our truck drivers through the difficulties of French roads. And to introduce them to the best of French cuisine and wine each evening. We were followed by my wife,
Alwyn, my daughter Jill and son Simon. At the entry to CERN, a French customs officer wanted me to confirm that the lorries contained scientific apparatus only. I assured him this was so
and opened the lorry doors to reveal Simon's cot and high chair hiding the apparatus. What reliability! Contact with Alan continued over the years and was always very well welcome to me.
July 25, 2014
Alan was a great person and physicist.
I will miss him very much,
Gabriel Karl,Guelph,Ontario
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