Eulogy for the Awesome Professor Seymour Laxon


It was with great sadness that I learnt of the recent death of my friend and colleague, Seymour Laxon.




I've worked at University College London (UCL) since 2000 and I met Seymour soon after joining. We have a mutual friend in ex-British Antarctic Survey scientist Dave Mantripp. Now, part of the problem of working at a place like UCL is that you begin to think that exceptional is the norm. People like Seymour change the world; they effect that change in a quiet, determined way. They are the key scientific figures of their time. Look at the list of Seymour’s accomplishments, the work that he and Duncan Wingham and their group have done: it is breath-taking. Moreover, it is breath-takingly important – Seymour was working at the very heart of issues that will affect everyone on the planet. Just read that back again: everyone on the planet. None of that went to Seymour’s head – he was one of the most professional, dedicated scientists I have ever met (and I have met a lot). He was a true journeyman in science.

I cannot believe he is gone – I walk across the Quadrangle at UCL each day and I see him: standing there with that look on his face, thinking, maybe lighting up a cigarette, but oblivious to the cold, just thinking. I am only beginning to understand how much we have lost. It is sad beyond belief to think of how this must feel for his partner, Fiona and his daughter, Imogen, and how tragic it is that he will not see Imogen grow up. But they hold great memories, and Imogen will always have had an awesome father.

It’s standard practice these days to include a list of key words in the process of publishing a paper. I think I’ll pin my list for Seymour here:

Scientist; professional; sharp as a razor; fire starter; surfer; loving partner and father; sardonic; witty; smoker; drinker; intelligent; data-rich; cerebral; physical; determined; adept; successful; life-loving; kind.

Few will know what he did, and even fewer had the chance to thank him. For those of us lucky enough to be close to him – well, how we all feel about it has become only too clear in the last few days. I wonder what he would make of it. Our lives were enriched by him, and all that he did. Who would not want such a legacy?

I am truly thankful for having known Seymour, and I will never forget him. I miss him as a colleague, I miss him as a scientist, I miss him as a friend. At his wake I’m going to raise a glass and toast the life of a great man. Had Seymour been a Viking, I have no doubt that the gates of Valhalla would be flung wide to honour him. Perhaps we need, in our hearts, some scientific and personal equivalent of Valhalla to which we can entrust the life of Seymour Laxon.

Comments

  1. Anonymous11 December 2013 at 20:00

    Hello Marek,

    This is Teemu, your recent student. You told that you are a light sleeper. I have a suggestion to you that works well with me: Try to go to sleep at around 21 o'clock plus minus half an hour, just when you start feeling sleepy in the evening. I have noticed that if you'll stay awake late after the first sleepy feeling in the evening, then your sleep will be light. I.e., it does not help thinking that the more late it gets and the more tired you are, the better you'll sleep. It simply does not work that way. Therefore, prepare the things like having shower and changing your clothes early in the evening before you'll feel sleepy to be ready to go to sleep without needing to have a refreshing shower when you are naturally sleepy. This way at least I and my wife fall in the sleep immediately and can often sleep the whole night deeply until around 6 o'clock, when you'll wake up happily regenerated and feeling eager to start the new day - i.e. not feeling tired and wanting to sleep more.

    Season's Greetings & best wishes,
    Teemu.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Marek Ziebart27 June 2015 at 07:03

      Thank you, Teemu, for the interesting and insightful comments.
      With my best regards,
      Marek

      Delete
  2. Anonymous11 December 2013 at 20:01

    :) :) :)

    ReplyDelete

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