Born in Sibiu, Romania on April 24, 1959, Florin passed away peacefully at home on February 13, 2018. He is survived by his wife, Mariana; his son, Razvan; and his mother, Elena.
Florin was an award-winning mathematician, Vice President of the Canadian Mathematical Society, professor at the University of Victoria and Yale-NUS Singapore, the author of several successful books, and an avid tennis player.
A loving husband and father, he will be greatly missed by family and friends.
Visitation will be held in the Redwood Chapel at McCall Gardens on Friday, February 16 at 7:00 pm. Funeral Service will be held on Saturday, February 17, 2018 at 2:00 pm in the Sequoia Centre at McCall Gardens, 4665 Falaise Drive.
Tributes, if desired, may be made to the Victoria Hospice Society.
Condolences may be offered to the family below.
McCall Gardens
www.mccallgardens.com
94 Responses
Please accept my sincere condolences on this tragic occasion. I heard of Florin some time in 1992 when he was visiting the University of Montreal. At that time I took the initiative to invite him to Carleton University for a series of lectures on celestial mechanics. We then became colleagues and ultimately friends. I trust you will all stay strong and rejoice in the good times and memories of his life with you. (Angelo)
Dear Mariana and Razvan,
I have just learned of Florin’s death. I am so sorry; please
accept my sincere condolences. We have lost a colleague and a
friend, but your loss is so much greater.
I well remember receiving part of a working manuscript in 1993
or ’94. In due course this became the book “Celestial Encounters,”
which I was privileged to contribute to. Subsequently I enjoyed
visiting you and Florin at U Vic in 1996, and then Florin was a
key organizer for the wonderful workshops on math and science
writing held at the PIMS conference center at Banff. These were
the first meetings at which I felt that my two lives, in the
mathematical sciences and in poetry, really became one.
You may not know that, as an advisory committee member at the
Centre de Recherche Mathématiques in Montreal, I had read Florin’s
CV some time before 1993. I believe that this helped in his
appointment at CRM, and thence at U Vic. Again, I feel lucky to
have spotted his talents, and to have played a small part in his
impressive career.
With my best wishes and thoughts, at this dark time.
Sincerely Yours, Phil Holmes.
To Mariana and family,
My heartfelt sympathies to you all over the loss of Florin. He was such a giant in the celestial mechanics community and beyond that it is hard to fathom his loss right now.
I first met Florin many years ago at one of the HAMSYS conferences in Patzcuaro, Mexico. It was my first conference and I was really nervous about giving a talk. The first person to ask a question at the end of my talk was Florin, and he began by simply stating that it was a good talk. That was a great boost to a fledgling mathematician! It was indicative of the type of leadership and supportive mentorship that Florin offered to so many in the mathematical community.
In the summer of 2013, Florin organized a wonderful meeting in Victoria bringing together researchers in the n-body problem and atomic and molecular dynamics. It was a really unique gathering of researchers. I recall a lovely party during that conference when Florin and family opened up their home to all of us.
Florin was always so welcoming and approachable. He was a world-class researcher and a gifted writer and story-teller. I regularly assign his “Celestial Encounters” book to my students, a book that brings both the mathematics of our field to life as well as the personal stories behind that mathematics.
I will miss his smile, his wit, his kindness, his leadership and his passion for mathematics.
My thoughts are with you and your family.
Sincerely,
Gareth Roberts
Dear Ms. Mariana,
I am truly sorry and sad to hear of the loss of my distinguished supervisor. Please accept my sincere condolences and may his soul rest in peace. He was a wonderful person. He was always encouraging me to achieve the best in my study. I met him every week for one year. in every meeting he was asking about my family and my sons. He is very kind, friendly and enthusiastic. Dr. Florin is an invaluable professor.
Draga Marina si Razvan,
Va transmitem cele mai sincere condoleante si suntem alaturi de voi. Ne gandim la voi cu mult drag. Draga mea prietena, am avut norocul sa intram impreuna in anul 2018 dar nu stiam ca o sa fie ultima intalnire cu Florin.
Intotdeauna a fost exemplul pe care l-am dat copiilor mei. Un om deosebit care lasa un gol enorm in multe suflete.
Parintii mei, socati la primirea tristei vesti, iti trimit cel mai bune ganduri si doresc sa se odihneasca in pace.
Daniel si Alejandro se unesc acestor ganduri.
Florin a lasat urme adanci care nu o sa se stearga niciodata.
Ce noroc am avut sa cunoastem o fiinta exceptionala ca el.
Drum bun in calatoria ta cosmica, prietene drag. Nu exista suficiente lacrimi pentru a plange o pierdere prematura ca a ta.
Querida Marina y Razvan, os acompañamos en el sentimiento. Florin ha dejado un hueco muy grande detrás pero también muchos amigos. Podéis contar con nosotros. Un abrazo muy fuerte.
Dana, Alberto, Daniel y Alejandro
Dear Mariana:
From the bottom of my heart, please accept my sincere prayers. I am so sorry about your loss. I remember Florin as a person who gave you full attention and even though so accomplished he was always humble and noble. I always had and will have the highest admiration for both of you regarding your accomplishments and giving nature. Please take care of yourself. My thoughts are with you and your family in those challenging times …
Dear Mariana & family,
There are no words…I was shocked & saddened to hear of Florin’s illness & passing. What a remarkable man. I knew of his tremendous intellect and worldwide contribution to Mathematics, but I will remember his big smile, kind nature & the genuine interest he had in others. Such a valuable, fun member of the Saanich Tennis Community. I’m thinking of you with love on my travels, and am reminded once again about living life now, as tomorrow is never promised.
Shirley
Draga Razvan, draga Marina, citind mesajele de mai sus am atenuat putin din emotia care m-a coplesit. Despre Florin, profesorul Solomon Marcus spunea ca este cel mai mare savant roman in mecanica cereasca dupa Spiru Haret. “Provocarea culturii” – conferinta de la Cluj din oct.2013- care i-a reunit pe Florin, Solomon Marcus, Ioan Aurel Pop, Dorin Prunariu si Daniel Condurache ramine un episod memorabil pentru multi romani (un post tv national a oferit de mai multe ori inregistrarea acelei minunate intilniri). Cu prietenii rotarieni din Bistrita si Cluj am organizat prima lansare in Romania a “Mileniului pierdut”la Cluj. Florin a tinut la Bistrita si la Cluj prelegeri despre “Megadezastre”. Intilnirile cu el au fost o bucurie si un privilegiu. A plecat pentru intilniri celeste, dar ne lasa, pe cei care l-au cunoscut, mai aproape de voi: Marina, Razvan si Elena. Va imbratisam cu multa afectiune. Cu iubire si speranta pentru Florin !
Puiu si Mariana
Dear Mariana:
I was so sorry to hear about Florin. What a lovely man and such fun on the tennis court. I remember he said, ” I taught her to play and now she’s better than me”. Just one of his many legacies as I’ve been learning.
My thoughts are with you,
Cathy
Mariana, I was so shocked to learn of Florin’s untimely passing. My sincerest condolences to you, Razvan, and your mother-in-law for the loss of your cherished husband, father and son.