If we are honest about our feelings, Tony’s untimely death is somewhat frightening to us. It is a reminder of our fragile mortality. It is also an affront to the justice of the universe. How can we justify our own lives when compared to someone who gave so much of his mind to his science and so much of his heart to his family and friends?

Tony would never have lingered over such self-centered thoughts and in his honor neither should we. Rather Tony’s life should serve as an example of what can be accomplished in a short span of time if one focuses on one’s work with an eagerness to understand. Tony contributed more than most of us who have been allotted far more time.

It is Tony’s family who will be most burdened by his absence. We trust that just as Tony’s professional contributions will illuminate our scientific path for many years to come, his sincerity and good nature will influence the lives of his young daughters Lucie and Beatrice.

—Tony's Friends at Johns Hopkins University/APL