Harry
Rossiter said...
FROM John Kowalchuk:
It was with great sadness that I learned of the passing of Brian. For me, personally, he was a colleague, a teacher, a mentor, and someone whom I very much respected and admired. More importantly, however, he was a friend. I was very fortunate to have spent a sabbatical year with Brian in his laboratory at the St. George’s Hospital Medical School. It was a very productive year and enjoyable experience for me, and it was ‘fun’. I will always remember the almost daily morning and afternoon ‘break time’ conversations and discussions that Brian, Harry Rossiter and I had in his office over ‘coffee and muffins’. Not just the science, but sports, art, music, literature, history - it seemed as though Brian was an authority on everything (he was) - and, of course, anything ‘Welsh’.
When preparing to attend the annual ACSM meetings I would always contact Brian to see whether he would be attending and if so, whether he would have an evening open for dinner and glass of Jack Daniel’s and/or Booker’s. He did!! A highlight of the meetings, I always came away having enjoyed myself and always having learned something.
My wife and daughter always enjoyed Brian’s company. My daughter was 8 years old when she first met Brian. She still remembers him teaching her the correct Welsh pronunciation for the village name “Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch”. On a recent trip to the UK we visited Brian and Susan in ‘Crick’. Always the gracious hosts, we were treated so well and remember the walking tour through the village, with Brian showing us the sites and relating the local history, and giving us advice on which countryside walk we should attempt.
It was always a special treat to have Brian visit us in Canada. It was another opportunity for discussion and a chance for our students to interact, informally, with Brian. Of course many of Brain’s publications and reviews are required reading for my graduate (and undergraduate) students. He always engaged the students, asked about their research, answered their questions. He challenged the students (challenged us all) but made it a very positive, learning experience. Despite his reputation as “THE expert” the students were always put at ease and were comfortable interacting with him. Last fall was Brain’s final visit to our laboratory. While we very much enjoyed the social part of the visit, it was very memorable for me because for the better part of two days Brian was seated at a table outside my office meticulously analyzing gas exchange data to estimate lactate thresholds. Pencil and ruler in hand, drawing lines, overlaying and holding graphs up to the light to better view VO2, VCO2, Ve ‘profiles’ and relationships. The ‘Master’ at work (and play).
Brian, you will be missed - by me and many others - and you will be remembered for a long while!!
It was with great sadness that I learned of the passing of Brian. For me, personally, he was a colleague, a teacher, a mentor, and someone whom I very much respected and admired. More importantly, however, he was a friend. I was very fortunate to have spent a sabbatical year with Brian in his laboratory at the St. George’s Hospital Medical School. It was a very productive year and enjoyable experience for me, and it was ‘fun’. I will always remember the almost daily morning and afternoon ‘break time’ conversations and discussions that Brian, Harry Rossiter and I had in his office over ‘coffee and muffins’. Not just the science, but sports, art, music, literature, history - it seemed as though Brian was an authority on everything (he was) - and, of course, anything ‘Welsh’.
When preparing to attend the annual ACSM meetings I would always contact Brian to see whether he would be attending and if so, whether he would have an evening open for dinner and glass of Jack Daniel’s and/or Booker’s. He did!! A highlight of the meetings, I always came away having enjoyed myself and always having learned something.
My wife and daughter always enjoyed Brian’s company. My daughter was 8 years old when she first met Brian. She still remembers him teaching her the correct Welsh pronunciation for the village name “Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch”. On a recent trip to the UK we visited Brian and Susan in ‘Crick’. Always the gracious hosts, we were treated so well and remember the walking tour through the village, with Brian showing us the sites and relating the local history, and giving us advice on which countryside walk we should attempt.
It was always a special treat to have Brian visit us in Canada. It was another opportunity for discussion and a chance for our students to interact, informally, with Brian. Of course many of Brain’s publications and reviews are required reading for my graduate (and undergraduate) students. He always engaged the students, asked about their research, answered their questions. He challenged the students (challenged us all) but made it a very positive, learning experience. Despite his reputation as “THE expert” the students were always put at ease and were comfortable interacting with him. Last fall was Brain’s final visit to our laboratory. While we very much enjoyed the social part of the visit, it was very memorable for me because for the better part of two days Brian was seated at a table outside my office meticulously analyzing gas exchange data to estimate lactate thresholds. Pencil and ruler in hand, drawing lines, overlaying and holding graphs up to the light to better view VO2, VCO2, Ve ‘profiles’ and relationships. The ‘Master’ at work (and play).
Brian, you will be missed - by me and many others - and you will be remembered for a long while!!
