Goodbye, John

by Kieran Healy on October 1, 2009

My friend John Pollock died yesterday. I’ll leave it to others to write up his many contributions to philosophy and computer science. I wanted to take a moment to remember him as the hard-charging mountain biker he was. He introduced me to biking shortly after I moved to Tucson, and he spent a lot of time driving me and many others all over Southern Arizona to ride on desert singletrack. Despite being almost twice my age he (and several others even older) would routinely leave me behind on the trail, cranking up hills or blasting down them. Eventually I started to be able to keep up better, but that was partly because John sold me his beautiful Ellsworth Truth, pictured above, at a knock-down price. It’s a great bike. Too good for me, really. I’ll miss you, John.

{ 5 comments }

1

Tom T. 10.01.09 at 3:12 am

I’m sorry for this loss.

2

(O)CT(O)PUS 10.01.09 at 4:21 am

My condolences for the loss of a friend, from one mountain biker to another.

3

Becky Grant 10.01.09 at 6:34 am

This is so sad. I hope you will remember all the good times. My thoughts and prayers are with you!

-Becky

4

Carol Polk 10.01.09 at 8:32 pm

What a fine good friend you had. And still have, every time you get on that bike, and other times too, in all probability. Be more glad you knew him than sad he’s gone.

5

Jorge Ochoa-Lions 10.02.09 at 3:49 am

Although I am not a mountain biker, I wish to share inyour loss. I think you will appreciate this little anecdote. I was a student of Dr. Pollock in the early 80’s. At the time, Dr. Pollock was an avid rock climber. As I became a friend of his, he said to me one day: “If you ever want to be amongst the Logicians, you will need to do rock-climbing”. The intensity with which he approached rock climbing and mountain biking paled in comparison to the intensity with which he approached mathematical logic. But with his smile, and his joy of life, he was warm and welcoming to us all. I did take up rock-climbing, and loved it, but did not pursue abstract mathematics with the same rigour or intensity as John did. I share with you his loss, but I also share with you the enormous joy that having known John Pollock brought to my life, then and now. Here is to John, whose heart was just as big as his mind was.

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