Peter Kollman died 15 years ago today, at my age, 56.
He was a giant in our field, yet wholly unpretentious and purely enthusiastic.
And he was the subject of one of the most moving obituaries I have read, by Fred Cohen.
Here's an excerpt:
"Peter told me more than once that he had no regrets. He had the good fortune to work on problems he loved with colleagues that he enjoyed. At a time when many of us would focus on all that we had not made time for, Peter displayed a rare sense of contentment as he listened to the music he loved and sent out a few extra e-mail messages. In the last few weeks of his life, the bone pain from his tumor required morphine. When discussing mundane subjects, he had a difficult time staying focused. But, when his thoughts turned to science, he was as lucid as ever. Science clearly held a privileged spot in Peter's mind, a spot that was not subject to ephemeral or biochemical distraction."
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