In memoriam Stuart Pottasch (1932-2018)

Following a long illness, Professor Stuart Pottasch died in Groningen on 4 April 2018. Stuart was Professor Emeritus at the Kapteyn Astronomical Institute of the University of Groningen, where he had been a professor since 1963. Stuart served as chairman of the Department of Astronomy in Groningen from 1969 until 1982, and with the coming of the space research group (SRON) he oversaw a major expansion of the research effort in astronomy during his tenure as chairman. Stuart was also the founding editor-in-chief of Astronomy & Astrophysics, today’s premier European astronomy journal.

Stuart supervised many students. His style of supervision was relaxed; he did not closely monitor or direct the research of students but encouraged a great deal of independence. This style agreed with some and not with others, but this was Stuart. To those meeting him for the first time, he often seemed somewhat introvert and remote but, in fact, being underestimated was his management tactic, as a number of colleagues later discovered.

Despite his illness, Stuart came to the institute almost on a daily basis, working in his office and enjoying lunch in the sun in the coffee corner. His quiet presence will be missed at the institute.

In this difficult time, our hearts go out to Stuart’s family and to everyone around him.

Obituary Stuart Pottasch (1932-2018)

With great sadness,
All Kapteyn colleagues