Jon was a creator, a great mind, a creative mind, and a light for many, many mathematicians, from many countries. He was a gem, and I still can’t believe he is gone. Everywhere Jon went, he created new opportunities for other mathematicians, by initiating so many fascinating and fruitful research directions, and also by initiating so much infrastructure for collaborations among mathematicians from geographically diverse locations around the world. One of his most recent feats, for example, was the creation of CARMA, which is the research center in Newcastle University, Australia, for ‘Computer Assisted Research Mathematics and its Applications’. This was a great idea, and transformed Newcastle’s mathematical horizon.
I miss Jon more than I can say. I am very lucky to have known Jon and to be his friend. I miss his brilliance, I miss his humor, I miss the man so very dearly. [Sinai Robins, Temple University]