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Protistology 12 (4), 231-232 (2018)
Protistology
He was doing what he loved. Professor Denis H. Lynn (1947-2018)
Denis H. Lynn (2017)
Early on June 26, 2018 one of the most known and glorified planet protistologist Prof. Denis Lynn (the University of British Columbia) died in a tragic accident. At that moment Denis was working in the field on Calvert Island collecting mussels in a tide pool with graduate students and postdocs. Suddenly, he was struck by a large and unexpected wave. His colleagues in the field were with him right away and did everything possible, but Denis had already passed away. This tragic accident has deprived the world scientific community not only one ofbrilliant scientists in the field of a protistology, but also pleasant, darling, and intelligent person,
communication with whom always was not only useful, but also gave a pleasure.
The colleagues of him had written right after the tragedy: «For almost 10 years we had the privilege of working alongside Denis since he moved to UBC from Guelph. I came to know him not just for his unique contributions to science and as the foremost authority on ciliate diversity and evolution, but also as an outstanding role model forleadership and collegiality. We all learned a lot from Denis every day, about biology and about living a life in science, and we will miss him greatly» (Prof. Patrick John Keeling, the University of British Columbia, Canada). «He was still full of plans, he was in the middle of his life. He had just come back from the conference from Cyprus and had lots of collaborations» (Dr. Michaela Strueder-Kypke, the University of British Columbia, Canada).
Many more of his colleagues-protistologists could sign the letter sent to the scientist's widow, Dr. Portia Lynn in which members ofthe Executive Committee, ISOP wrote: «Outside the world of science, Denis was an inspiration in so many ways. When we traveled to interesting places for meetings, Denis would be at the center of any cultural outing or exploration of the local environment, history and culture. Many of us benefited from his deep knowlege and endless inquiry. We shall truly miss our friend and colleague».
Denis H. Lynn was born in Kingston, Ontario, Canada in the family, the first generation of which, settled there almost in the time ofCanada emergence. Denis started his education in the Gielph University in the field of Marine biology (1965-1969), and made his PhD study in protozoology (1969-1975) at the Toronto University. His post-doctoral Fellow in Cell Biology placed in the University ofSt. Andrews, Scotland and the University of Clermon-Ferran, France. Then from 1977 Lynn's scientific activity was connected with Guelph University where he was Assistant Professor, Associate Professor and finally Full Professor (1992-2010). Meanwhile he has been as Visiting Professor in USA, Colorado (1986),
doi:10.21685/1680-0826-2018-12-4-7 © 2018 The Author(s)
Protistology © 2018 Protozoological Society Affiliated with RAS
232 • In memoriam
Germany, Tubengen (1993), Belgium, Antwerpen (1993), Italy, Pisa (2008), and Visiting Research Scientist in Australia, Brisban (2008). From 2011 Denis was Adjunct Professor in the University of Vancouver, British Colombia.
Prof. Lynn's teaching experience, societies positions and editorial activities were numerous and various indeed. In many ways he was connected with International Society of Potistologists. Professor's contribution to protistology is too known that here specially to analyze it. He is a author of more than 150 articles, 22 chapters in books, 2 books, and 5 governmental reports.
Personally I have got acquainted with Denis in Berlin on the International congress of protozo-ologists in 1993. Since then we often met each other: in Tubingen, in Pisa as well as in many International protistological meetings. In spring of 1997 I had a pleasure to spent several days in Guelph's house of Lynns and made a short sampling trip to the Great Lakes with him. It was time when I communicated
with Denis constantly and could learn and estimate closely him not only as a scientist, but mainly as a person. Those days were really remarkable and unforgettable.
The virtual issue honours Prof. Lynn contributions to the International Society of Protistolo-gists, to the Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology, and more widely to the scientific community, with a compilation of his authored or co-authored JEU articles and references to the wider breadth ofpapers that Denis published elsewhere (with introduction made by Michaela C. Struder-Kypke, David J. S. Montagnes, Eleni Gentekaki) could be seen at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/toc/10.1111/ (ISSN)1550-7408.DenisHLynnVI.
He was doing what he loved; his passion for discoveries of the ciliate world knew no bounds. Farewell Denis, your trace in sciences won't be erased, as well as you will be in memory of those who knew you.
Sergei I. Fokin. Department of Biology. Protistology-Zoology Unit. University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; Department of Invertebrate Zoology, St. Petersburg State University, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia; St. Petersburg Branch of the S.I. Vavilov Institute of History of Science and Technology Russian Academy of Sciences, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia.
