No subject

On behalf of Prof. Tony Fairall's family, the Astronomy Department would 
like to announce that a public memorial service will be held on Tuesday 
2 December 2008 at 2 p.m. in the Jameson Hall, upper campus, UCT.

This memorial will be followed by a reception in the Molly Blackburn Foyer.

In lieu of flowers, the family would like to request donations for the 
`Starwise' fund, a fund set in place by the family to distribute Tony's 
latest book to all high schools in South Africa. For details see: 
http://www.ast.uct.ac.za/starwise 


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 From the President of the South African Institute of Physics:

Dear SAIP member:
 
It is with regret that I announce the tragic death of Prof Tony Fairall,
from the UCT. Prof Fairall  was world renowned for his work on planetariums
and he worked on the large scale structure of the universe. He was
considered amongst the very best of teachers who helped attract the new
generation of students into astronomy at his institution, and he was at the
forefront in taking his enthusiasm to the broader public. His service to
the UCT and generally to the international astronomy community has been
exemplary. South Africa has indeed lost a very substantial scientist. 
 
On behalf of the SAIP, I wish his colleagues and family strength and
fortitude during this time of bereavement.
 
Sincerely,
Nithaya Chetty
President SAIP


IN MEMORIAM: PROFESSOR ANTHONY PATRICK FAIRALL

The University community in general, and the Astronomy Department in  
particular, is shocked and deeply saddened by the sudden loss of one  
of UCT's best-loved and most revered staff members, Professor Tony  
Fairall.

Last week Professor Fairall attended the 2008 Retirees Dinner which  
marked 38 years of outstanding service to the University in both  
teaching and research. A National Research Foundation-rated  
researcher, Professor Fairall's research focus was on the  
spectroscopy of galaxies and large-scale structures of galaxies and  
he is well-known for the discovery of the galaxy Fairall-9, named in  
his honour.

An immensely popular and engaging teacher, his first-year astronomy  
course attracted thousands of students over the last three and a  
half decades and he also supervised numerous PhD students. He  
authored over 200 scientific papers and many popular astronomy  
books, his most recent, `Starwise - a beginner's guide to the  
Universe' being published a few weeks ago.

A major part of his life's work was to make astronomy accessible and  
understandable to the general public. During his time at UCT  
Professor Fairall also served as the Cape Town Planetarium director  
of the Iziko museum from 1988 until 2005. Professor Fairall's  
extensive knowledge of his subject matter, combined with an  
exceptional ability to make astronomy easily understandable to the  
person on the street, meant the he was the face of astronomy in Cape  
Town and a sought-after public speaker.

Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Daya Reddy, said: ``It would be  
impossible to measure the positive impact Professor Fairall made to  
life on campus, not only in academic terms, but in terms of the  
immense kindness, patience and respect which he displayed towards  
staff and students. He has touched the lives of countless students,  
colleagues and friends with his inexhaustible enthusiasm and passion  
for astronomy and teaching. His legacy at UCT and at the Planetarium  
will continue to live on.''

The Astronomy Department's and University's heartfelt sympathies go  
to his wife Alex, and his children Lara, Richard, David, Desmond and  
Elizabeth.

MEMORIAL SERVICE
A Memorial Service in honour of Professor Tony Fairall will be held  
Tuesday, 2 December, at 2:00 pm in the Jameson Memorial Hall of the  
University of Cape Town.

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