I deeply regret that I cannot be here in person today to hear from others and offer my own reflections on Chris Byrnes. We were close colleagues and collaborators, especially during the years he spent at Harvard, and our time together has left a deep mark on my life. In topics ranging from mathematics and engineering to travel and cooking, Chris was fearless in attacking new topics. He was always generous with ideas and eager to share what he knew with anyone, regardless of their background or lack thereof. Characteristic of the best teachers, he had a powerful mind, an astonishing memory and an innate sense of what other people were thinking. He possessed enough ambition to reach high posts in academic life and enough humility to maintain lifelong friendships. While his personal life was, by spells, both very happy and decidedly less so, and I have been witness to both, he always had the strength to bounce back from temporary reversals and go on to greater things. Perhaps it is appropriate to end this tribute with a story from the late 1970s. My wife and I were having a party one night and our then four year old child was opening the door for guests; Chris arrived and was greeted with a spontaneous, “Come on in Chris, it wouldn’t be a party without you!” And so, our parties and the rest of our lives will definitely not be the same.

Harvard University

National Academy of EngineeringEngineers