From Memories of Stas Ionov
I wish for you Pavel to know that I worked with Stas very closely. I find him to be among the most noble of men I have the chance to work with. Sept 9 at 5:30pm Stas left me a note for a Monday meeting. Monday I was waiting for him to come in on his bicycle....Then I heard the horible news in the hallway. Stas was a man of the highest standards, yet he was gracious, honest with highest integrity. He always gave credit for things done for him. He was such a great man that he also took ownership of mistakes instead of finding someone else to blame. For such honesty I heard him say several times " It is my fault". I have worked for more than 30 years and I have never heard anyone else say that except myself and Stas. So it is natural to enjoy working with him. The best efforts went forwards because there was never fear of retribution. Early on I assisted Stas in satrting a program in processing. Another very senior scientist claimed that I was ten times off the mark. I was left speedhless and indefensible. Stas proceeded to use a method proposed by the other scientist to prove me wrong. In so doing Stas found that I was not wrong and told me so. The other scientist did not say a word. So I said to Stas that I felt as if I got sent to the Gulag and I didn't know the charges. I think Stas understood. Stas is from the land of Landau and Liftshitz, Komolgorov, Abrikosov, Ginsburg, Gorkov.....whose physics and math I studied and it was natural to want to work with him. Being from the other great land mass next to the "USSR" I was very curious about the sons of Ukraine and Russia. Are they harsh as Siberia and then I found Stas' warmth and kindness would melt the siberian winter. I wish I had more chance to work with/ for Stas. Now I would have to wait to see him in Heaven.I would look for that yellow jersey, and Stas behind the helmet. There would no longer be tears and pain. There the good Lord would wipe away all our tears, as many of us here at HRL would wep, oenly upon out grief for Stas. Also it was so interesting to know Stas worked at the institite of Kapitza, who had the courage to stand up to Stalin.
Stewart Fong
