On January 28th this year I found a message containing Jon's typical expressive and direct prose in my inbox. The message said that he had been in a nasty motorbike crash the night before and that he was in hospital with a smashed knee. Jon also said:
“It looks like i might be here for several weeks undergoing surgery, so if not too late you might want to postpone your trip. Jon”
I received this email, on the eve of a trip to London where the intention was to spend some time at Queen Square planning new experiments on our now ten year old scientific collaboration. We had also laid down plans to go to the Emirates to watch Arsenal vs. Barcelona and we had plans to go to some concerts. I didn´t realize how fateful this accident would be. The word “postpone” in Jon’s message is particularly tough to read, since many of our best-laid plans will now never come to fruition.
Our scientific community has now lost one of it’s most brilliant scientists but I have also lost a good friend and mentor.
There is a lot to be said on Jon’s illustrious scientific career, but Jon and I connected well on a personal level as well as on the scientific one. How our tastes in music matched was uncanny, we could compare notes on obscure 80’s indie bands no-one else had heard of, and on our mutual interest; R&B/soul-music from the 60’s. Our conversations on football took precious time away from our science – it was time well spent. Fly-fishing trips were always on the agenda. To be honest, I think we had an even better connection on the personal level than the scientific one, despite our eight co-publications (and counting).
We shared a similar sense of humor, with a mutual preference for the most morbid irony. But after exchanging anecdotes and jokes on amutual colleague Jon would finish by listing that person’s qualities. Jon always had a good word for everyone.
A particularly fond memory for me is when Jon visited me in Iceland in the fall of 2010 with his two sons, Shoni and Neil. We had an excellent time going volcano hunting around Eyjafjallajökull, the Vestman-Islands – Pompei of the North, the Blue Lagoon, and the "Geysir" geothermal area. During the drive we designed three experiments, but nevertheless spent most of the time discussing music, football, the scenery, and trading jokes with his boys in the backseat. An excellent couple of days – all the more valuable to me now. My heart now goes out to the two boys, and Nilli, their mother.
The sadness of the word “postpone” jumps to mind again. Our planned fly-fishing trips in Iceland; jam sessions; football matches and other good stuff will now not happen.
I will cherish the memories of our friendship. I will never be able to listen to Teenage Fanclub, The Coral, Dexys Midnight Runners nor records from the Stax and Motown back-catalogues without thinking of him. That is only fitting and is as-it-should-be. I will be happy for the memories, and for every opportunity to remember him by.
