Neil E. Gretsky

As a Math major at UCR, I had Neil as a professor for more than one class. My first glimpse of what I would come to know of his nature was during the start of our Game Theory class. Assigned reading was a rather think book selling for around $80 (20+ years ago!). Neil thought it unreasonable that students bear that kind of cost so he provided copies of the relevant chapters to us in lieu of our having to purchase the book. Always frank, upbeat and truly caring, he generously offered...

Neil was my best friend among the professors at UCR. I took his freshman Calculus Class the 1967-68 school year. Neil was refreshingly frank and good natured. We learned that he stuttered and sometimes words get caught in his throat. Not to worry, they will be out shortly. He told us he was a college professor because he gets summers off to go surfing. He was very approachable and easy going. During my senior year APL (A Programming Language) became available. You had to be taking a class in...

Professor Gretsky was one of the finest instructors I had the pleasure of knowing. He was genuinely concerned with making sure content was engaging and interspersed wonderful anecdotes. I have no doubts that it was his letter of recommendation that got me my first job. I know I wouldn't be in my current PhD program if not for his help.
I will never forget all of his crazy stories about Paul Wolfowitz.

I got to know Neil while I was an undergraduate Math major at UCR. He was an excellent teacher and mentor. I spent many hours in his office asking him questions about all types of mathematics - he always tried to make himself available and help me work though my many questions.

He motivated me to get my PhD in Statistics. I also remember a poster in his office - Look before you leap, but always leap!

Beyond math, he had a great zest for life - from surfing to karate and...

I only new Neil briefly and I could tell the guy was a computer. What a smarty pants! I wish I knew him back in the day so I could just pick his brain. It's a huge loss for us.

Neil: A good friend to seemingly everyone, he was one of the easiest people to like I have ever met.

Neil, had a great influence on my life. Very special man, and a great heart and intellect to go with it.

He believed in me when I doubted myself and I will never forget a poster in his UCR office which showed a man walking a long-upward-spiral stair case. The caption read: "its a great life if you don't weaken".

I learned Game Theory from him -- which has become a life long passion. People other than registered students would pile into his probability class just to listen and...

Former student of his at UCR, father was a neighbor in Hermosa. Great professor, terrific human being. Will be sorely missed.

"Uncle Neil" was special to me...he was so cool driving from CA in his VW van, surfing and karate. I was always in awe of him! He was someone that was well read and could talk about anything. In the last couple of years, I visited him in his apartment and we hung out, went out to dinner and talked. Those are the best times and memories I will always treasure.