MyGlasgow News

The School of Physics and Astronomy, and many friends and colleagues beyond, are mourning Dr. Richard 'Rick' St Denis, who died on 15 February after a long battle with cancer, during which he showed immense courage and dignity. His colleagues in the school held a m‌inute's silence to mark his passing.

"Rick was a great character...who'll be sorely missed by his colleagues."

 

 

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Martin Hendry, Head of School and Professor of Gravitational Astrophysics and Cosmology, said: "Rick had a wealth of experience having worked on many experiments and in many areas of particle physics. He did his graduate work on the first runs of CDF.

"He then moved to ALEPH, and was involved in the early designs of the toroidal muon system for ATLAS. He returned to CDF to work on Higgs searches and more recently became deeply involved in the ttH analysis on ATLAS. Rick was a great character who was willing to share his extensive knowledge on everything from physics to beers, and will be sorely missed by his colleagues both in Glasgow and across the international particle physics community. Our thoughts and deep condolences go to his family and friends."

Professor Tony Doyle, Research Group Leader of the Particle Physics Experimental Group within the School, said: “Rick continued to come into the department when he was very ill, armed with an oxygen supply and a smile. He continued to be an inspiration to everyone he worked with even in those difficult last days. I wandered to his office today just to remember all the good times there, with that unique mix of physics and laughter that was all yours once you opened Rick's door. Rick's star shone brightly but for too short a time. The tributes from around the world remind us of the way he touched our hearts and our collective intellect."

A memorial and tribute page has been established in memory of Dr. St Denis: http://www.ppe.gla.ac.uk/~stdenis/book/book.php

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First published: 25 February 2014