Quotes from messages of condolences received.

These quotes have been taken from some of the many emails and messages that I have received, in no particular order.

Mary Kille, Alan's sister, wrote:

I remember, when I must have been about five, being detained by my big brother Alan, and being taught how to spell "PHLEGM!", just before a dinner party given by my parents.

After all the guests had arrived, I found myself announcing to the assembled company:

"I CAN SPELL PHLEGM!   P-H-L-E-G-M !".

The first lesson in public speaking: how to capture an audience!

[Mary is now 95 years old.  She has been holding this thought for 90 years!]

Humberto Terrones, Alan's PhD student, wrote:

I had the good fortune to meet Alan as my PhD advisor.

In the beginning, I thought my PhD would be 3 years and that was it.
However, my journey with Alan lasted longer: 37 years!

I knew the journey would be special because after over-using his Commodore Amiga pc in his office at Birkbeck, he decided to set up a table for me, and thus we shared the same office for most of my PhD.

In his office I learned more than one subject, met a lot of people and answered the phone when he was not in; this was great practice for my English.

He retired before I had finished my PhD but the office was not taken away.
We continued sharing it and continued working as if nothing had happened.

Alan - I will miss you.

Alison Mackay, Alan's niece, wrote:

Just want to say how very sad I am that I cannot make the funeral to say goodbye to Alan and to be there with you all. Am sad too that I am not around to help with what I imagine is an almost overwhelming task of dismantling No 22.

I have been reflecting on what role Alan and Sheila (and all of you) have had in shaping my life. He and Sheila were so unbelievably generous in providing a home for me and No 22 is by far the most significant house in my life.

I cannot tell you how important that was to me and what fun it was to arrive so late at night and to try and guess what fascinating and exotic strangers would appear at breakfast: the Japanese writers and academics, the Russian nuclear physicists etc etc.

It meant so much to me that I had my own key and my name was on the notice board.  looking back I realise that could well have been a challenge for you having me invading your home but you have all been so gracious and kind and have never made me feel anything other than welcome and I am deeply grateful for that (and sorry if I was a bloody nuisance sometimes!). I was very lost for many years and being there was very steadying.

Alan and Sheila opened my eyes to different ways of thinking and being and their open home policy to those in need has been something I have tried to continue with my own homes (have lost count of the homeless and jobless actors etc who have called Warwick Sq home) and to instill that idea into my children.

I had never experienced socialism in action and it was my visits to No 22 and time with A and S which more than anything formed my world view and my politics.  I miss so much Sheila’s marked Guardian articles and her confidence that I was a reasonably thoughtful and intelligent person.

My earliest memories are of having stories (Hobbit in particular) read to us all on the couch in the lounge, which became a vital part of my own family to come.  I am ashamed that I never fully appreciated Sheila’s incredible breadth of knowledge and experience until much later in life.

Then there were Alan’s relentless and terrifying questions - and my eternal feelings of fear that he would unmask me as being both poorly educated and limited in my critical thinking.  I was always in awe but would go away and try and learn a bit more about whatever was being discussed…

I am rambling now: thinking of the circus placemat, the little wooden train with painted people, Bob’s amazing puzzles in the mysterious territory of “upstairs”, Andrew’s music room and Claire’s den (don’t know if you realise Claire how I thought you were so much more worldly than I was!),
apricot jam, the switches on the card at the door to show who was in and who was out, the rhubarb in the front garden and the fabulous red roses which somehow survived the garden cull; all still so clear in my mind.

And I recall being in hospital with a suspected burst appendix when Alan waited all night for me, quietly transferring all his old contacts into his new diary.  He never said anything with any emotional content to me but him being there meant so much.

So thank you all for being such an important part of my past and for still including me in your lives which is a great joy. Please send Alan off with my enormous admiration, love and gratitude.

Mary Dub, our next-door neighbour for many years, wrote:

I was really sad to hear of Alan’s death from Donna and now from you.

I am so sorry for the absence you must feel in your life.  He was a tremendous man. So warm, so welcoming and so thoughtful.

I learnt an enormous amount from him: how to make art installations from radiators in the garden, the importance of epigenetics, the meaning of apoptosis. The list goes on and on.  I really enjoyed talking to him.

He has been with us for so long, it’s hard to believe he has passed peacefully.

Very best wishes to you and all your family

Professor Sir Tom Blundell, Alan's Professor

My travel is highly restricted at the present time due to age and health issues.  I am very sorry to say that I cannot attend the Cremation Ceremony. My apologies.

But as you know, I have been hugely impressed by Alan's achievements during the many years since I worked in the same lab.  And he was a great and respected friend over the years.

Marjorie Senechal

Istvan just told me the sad news.

I was rereading Alan's Eclectica only yesterday, marveling again at his multiplicities.  And at his impact on so much, and on so many.

How fortunate I was to be his friend, and Sheila's.

Please know that I share your loss.

In sorrow.

Academician Vladimir Shevchenko

I sincerely grieve with you.  The Earth has lost one of its great scientists.

Istvan Hargittai

Thanks for the information. I will be there in spirit. Truly.

[Istvan has also written an extensive Farewell tribute in the Structural Chemistry journal.]

Branka and Pero Zodan

Thinking of your in this time of sadness, we send you our love and sympathies, please accept our condolences. The photo is of Alan in Dubrovnik on the fortress of Revelin. In his younger days.

I hope he did not suffer. It seems that everything ends with a broken hip.  I am sorry that he has gone, but we are all mortal and sooner or later we have to leave this earth. Alan had a long and a good life, and was loved and cared for until the end.

He will be missed and remembered.

Thinking of you and the family.

We send you our love and sympathies.

[and more below]

Tina Zodan

I was very sad to hear that Alan had passed away. Although it has been many years since I last saw him, I think every now and then about wonderful moments I shared with him and Sheila. I can still remember so many little jokes, special sentences or phrases that he used.

Although Alan´s passing away was peaceful and to some extent expected, these moments must be difficult for you and your families.

Please accept my deepest condolences.

Rumen Radanov

We are sorry for this great loss. Alan was an inspiration to me and many others.

Although it was expected, it is not easy when it happens. Rest in peace Alan!

Renata Quehenberg

Thank you for sharing this sad news with me.

I feel very sorry for your loss.  You lost your father and the world lost a brilliant scientist.

My sincere condolences.

Bob Bywater

RIP Alan

A good man!

Intelligent and interesting to talk (and work) with. He left behind him many good and useful ideas and we will remember him for that.

Jacek Klinowski

Margaret and I are very very sorry to hear the news of Alan’s death. He was a dear friend and mentor. Please accept our condolences.

Murray and Elaine

We appreciated your telephone call yesterday, even though it brought sad news.  Based on what Andrew said in a message last week, it was, sadly, not unexpected.

Alan had a long life and a very successful career.  Those are some of the highlights we should always remember.

Julyan Cartwright

I am sorry, Claire, I know how hard it is to lose one's parents. But he had a long and -I think- good life.  I shall always remember him with great affection.

David Silverthorne, Royal Society

Thank you also for sending in a photo of the painting. I think it is very nice and certainly the Society does have very similar styles in its collection!
I have passed on his and your details to our Head of Library so he should be in touch in due course.

Susan Morton

Another good guy gone. So glad it was peaceful. It’s very hard on you all. Take care

Joanna Bourke

What incredibly sad news. Alan was one of the most incredible people I have ever met. A great loss to our Birkbeck community.

I will write to our Vice Chancellor (Prof Sally Wheeler; s.wheeler@bbk.ac.uk) and tell her the news.

Devastated.

Aldous Hicks

Alison advised me of Alan dying.

That is one big hole created for you and your siblings. And others like Alison.  Alan and Sheila were very big parts of her life. Please may I send my thoughts and sympathies to you in particular.

Kui Zhang

I am sorry to hear about this sad news - I had already booked flight tickets Paris-Manchester and planned to visit Alan on March 29th!

Thank you for letting me know about his last moments. He is a great person, his influence on me is tremendous.

I am under shock at the moment and I will write to you soon again.

Dr. José Luis Aragón Vera

I am deeply saddened by this news. Amidst everything, I’m glad in knowing that he had a peaceful passing, surrounded by care and love. May he rest in peace. My heartfelt condolences to you and your family.

I was fortunate to meet Alan in my youth, and he became a guiding figure in my career — a true example of creativity, honesty, and scientific integrity.  His influence will stay with me forever.

Humberto Terrones

My deepest condolences. Alan was more than advisor. I am very sad.  Alan and Sheila were an inspiration to me. They were part of my family.  I have great memories.

John Finney

Thanks for letting me know. It had to come sometime - and reaching 98 is a real achievement - but really sad when it happens.

As you know, Alan's scientific contributions were not only massive, but imaginative and insightful. And the part he played in Bernal's Birkbeck department was particularly important in helping bind together colleagues working in very different areas of research.

Personally he was very good to me when I went to Birkbeck, and keen to talk with me on matters of common interest. Though we only published one joint paper, his influence on my thinking - not only about science - was life-changing.

Julia Goodfellow

I am saddened to hear about the death of your father. I was at Birkbeck in crystallography for 20 years in 1980s and 1990s.

At a professional level Alan was a great scientist and at a personal level he was a great supporter. I remember handing him my first very young baby to hold while I sorted some work stuff out. He seemed very relaxed about it!

He always asked us impossible scientific questions. I soon learned he did not know the answer either at the time but he was going to work it out.

I also hope the college does something to commemorate his scientific life.

Philip Ball

I am so sorry to hear this. I have often wondered how your father was, and am amazed at his resilience in reaching such a venerable age. I have no doubt that the tributes he will receive will acknowledge what an enormous contribution to science he made - one that, in my view, has not really been adequately recognised or celebrated to date.

For myself, I was deeply grateful for the generosity that your father showed in sharing his profound knowledge.

I send my condolences to your family, and to all others who knew and admired your father. Thank you so much for contacting me to let me know of his passing.

Reinhard Drifte

I am very sorry to hear about Alan’s passing away after so much medical trouble!

He has been very courageous carrying on so long because I know how much he must have suffered with such reduced activity.

Kamila Gagala

Judy told me about the sad news, my sincere condolences to you and your family.

Alan was such a lovely gentleman and he is at peace now. I am sure he had a wonderful life.

I hope you find peace and you and family are doing OK. Please pass my condolences to your brothers.

Manuela also sends her love as we remembered Alan.

He's been an incredible man, his intelligence and beliefs were inspiring.  I enjoyed visiting Alan, observing him in his deep thoughts.

May he rest in peace.

Helga Hatvany

Thank you for thinking of me and for sharing this sad news with me.  Please accept my deepest condolences.

Alan had a very long and very full life, and I am incredibly grateful that I had the opportunity to talk to him on Zoom back in 2020.

Yes, he indeed greatly contributed to my book, not only by telling me some stories about their [Alan and her father József] time together in Oundle and Cambridge, and his consequent visit to Budapest in 1948, but also by kindly letting me use that photo he took of my father during that visit. It is one of my all time favorite photos of my father.

Yes, indeed, let's hope our fathers are in a more peaceful hemisphere, as you so beautifully put it.

Best wishes to you and your entire family!

Helen Saibil (Birkbeck)

It is very sad to hear of your father’s death, and I offer my deepest condolences. I had been dreading this news for some time.  I was extremely fond of Alan (and also your mother), he was a most brilliant and delightful colleague. I miss them both.

I was hoping that Christine and I would be able to visit him again but it was very hard to stay in touch with him once he stopped being able to answer emails.

Sheila Mackie

Thank you so much for letting me know your sad news.

Strangely enough, I was at Finchley Road station last Saturday and memories of Sheila, Alan and my stays at 22 Lanchester Rd came flooding back.  Happy days …

I even considered popping down the road to call on Alan, but concluded that, with his health problems, it might prove difficult and uncomfortable for him to cope with someone he probably didn’t even remember!

My sincere condolences to you all, Sheila’s beloved family. I know how much Alan disliked any form of religion, so shall not utter any platitudes (though that does not stop me thinking them!).  The Mackay dynasty continues with new members!!!

Sunt lacrimae rerum. [There are tears for things]

Sucharita Ranganathan

It is only today that we got to know that Alan passed away on Feb 24th.  Our whole family sends you our deepest condolences. We have all stayed with your parents at some point of time and enjoyed their hospitality.

Hope the end was peaceful. His influence on Rangu and other Indian scientists was phenomenal.

We have all his correspondence and will treasure it. All of us went to Highgate cemetry only because of him. It was mandatory.

Your loss is also ours.

Girija Viraraghavan

My cousin Sucharita forwarded me your mail to Rangu and her. My name is Girija Viraraghavan and my late husband Viru (Viraraghavan) and I knew your father and mother. We met them in Bangalore on a few of their visits there.

Please accept my condolences at Alan’s passing.  We used to visit your parents in the 2000’s, whenever we were in the UK.  Sheila has stayed with us along with Sucharita, in our Kodaikanal hill station home in south India.

When we visited them, Alan would always come to Highgate station to pick us up and take us home. We would have the most interesting conversations.

Viru and I were avid gardeners and Sheila would help us plan our many journeys to see the well known gardens in the UK. We were very sorry to learn of Sheila’s passing some years back, and now Alan’s.

I send you and your brothers my sincere sympathies. His was a life that made a great deal of difference in so many lives around the world.

Charlotte Richardson

I am so sorry to hear about the passing of Alan. I know how much he meant to you all and how deeply he will be missed. He was such a remarkable man who clearly left a huge impact on so many. I am aware of how much he and Sheila shaped the lives of mum and us in turn! She talks often and so fondly of them both.

Please know you are all in our thoughts.

Sending all our love from Australia,

Tamara Vogl

I wanted to express my condolences to you all. Although Alan's decline was imminent, it is a devastating loss nonetheless.

It is with great regret that I am unable to attend his cremation as I am currently overseas and returning April 9 (I had looked at trying to return earlier, but alas, it wasn't possible with my ticket).

Living with Alan was one of the most special experiences I've had - despite the occasional challenges!  When I moved to London, I had never set foot in the UK before, nor did I have any friends.  Alan and Donna became a surrogate family of sorts and my memories at 22 Lanchester will always be cherished.

I'd also like to thank you all for welcoming me into your lives. It was a pleasure meeting the Mackay family from the UK to Tasmania!

Sending my love and I hope you are coping during what must be a very difficult time.

Katharine Michaels

I heard from Geta that your Dad died this morning.  That is a lot to absorb. The ground moved under my feet when my parents (and husband) died.  There's nothing quite like it. You lose a big chunk of your own life when the major figures go.

It is terrific that you have been able to spend so much intimate time with him over the last few years. Whatever he was able to perceive during those various visits, I am certain it was reassuring and vitalizing for him at the deepest levels.

Sheila Mackie

Thank you so much for letting me know your sad news. Strangely enough, I was at Finchley Road station last Saturday and memories of Sheila, Alan and my stays at  22 Lanchester  Rd came flooding back. Happy days …

I even considered popping down the road to call on Alan, but concluded that, with his health problems,  it might prove difficult and uncomfortable for him to cope with someone he probably didn’t even remember!

My sincere condolences to you all, Sheila’s beloved family. I know how much Alan disliked any form of religion, so shall not utter any platitudes (though that does not stop me thinking them!). The Mackay dynasty continues with new members!!

Branka Zodan

The Last Goodbye to Alan 

My father Drago Grdenić was a crystallographer. He met Alan Mackay at the Congress of the International Union of Crystallography in Paris in 1954. They had already exchanged a number of crystallographic letters and papers, and their meeting in Paris was the beginning of a long-lasting friendship, bringing together Alan’s family and us, Drago’s family in Croatia. 

We exchanged letters and postcards and got together in Zagreb, in Omiš, in Baška, in London, Oxford, Pwllheli and Wolverhampton.

I was sixteen when I first came to London. I trundled on the Simplon train through Italy, Switzerland, France, up to Paris, Gare de Lyon, Gare du Nord, then on a ferry across the Channel and eventually I got to Victoria Station, and was very glad to see Sheila on the platform. 

It was a memorable visit, sightseeing about London and putting together jigsaw puzzles with Robet, Andrew and Claire. I remember Alan’s parents, Doctor and Mrs. Margaret Mackay, who was a magistrate and showed me the court procedure. I remember Alan’s sisters, Mary who moved to Australia later, and Sheila who came for the summer holidays from California. I remember the grey Atlantic Ocean and dramatic clouds. Alan would join us when he found time and would tell us a limerick.  

And then we all kept growing up and becoming adults, or becoming elderly and mature. I got married and so did Robert, Andrew and Claire. I came to London with my daughter Tina, by plane this time. Claire showed us around Brighton, Andrew took Tina to see how a London hospital works, Robert came from the States. We watched the nine o’clock news. We watched The Merchant of Venice. We ate haggis and durian, and mango. Alan would tell us a limerick, or a quotation by someone very bright, or an anecdote.
  
Since we are not immortal, we lost Sheila, my mother died, my father died, and I am nearly eighty. And now Alan has passed away. It is all very natural, and very sad. I thought I would end this page with a quotation from Alan’s book, but I would rather quote from a poem. 

“Je vais où va toute chose, / Où va la feuille de rose / Et la feuille de laurier.” 

Rest in peace, dear Alan. I know it would be ideal if it were in a mango grove.  

With love, Branka Žodan, Zagreb, 6 April 2025!