ECN News
Ann Orren passes away:
Dear colleagues,
With deep sorrow we have to inform you that Dr. Ann Orren passed away on 1 March 2023, having had experienced a severe stroke several years before. Ann was an enthusiastic clinical immunologist and microbiologist, working on both clinical and molecular features of terminal complement deficiencies, especially C6 deficiencies, and their impact on favoring meningococcal meningitis, in Cape Town, Cambridge and Cardiff. Her two daughters and three grandsons will miss her as a devoted family person, the medical society of South Africa as a fighter for equal access to medical care, and we colleagues will miss her intelligence, scientific determination and liberal mindedness, but also her doggedness when pursuing a scientific project.
Reinhard Würzner, Innsbruck, Austria; Mike Hobart, formerly Cambridge & Claire Harris, Cardiff, UK
Bob Sim - a short obituary by the ECN: here
Sir Peter Lachmann - a short obituary by the presidents of the ECN and ICS: here
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Bob Sim - a short obituary by the ECN:
Dear colleagues,
with deep sadness we must inform you that Bob Sim passed away on the February 6th, 2021 after a long and brave battle fighting cancer.
Many members of our community will vividly remember Bob, who was always a thoughtful and kind character. Together with Ken Reid he has shaped the complement group in Oxford for many decades. Bob has made many seminal contributions to the field - on different aspects of complement, but his most favourite molecule was probably Factor H. Bob has published over 300 papers. Over the years a lot of visitors have come to his lab including several from Uruguay. In November 2017 the University of Montevideo conveyed an honorary doctorate to Bob. He was extremely happy to receive that honour in the presence of nine of his close colleagues. Earlier, in 2013, the ECN has awarded him the ECN medal for his outstanding contributions to the field.
Certainly, Bob will be missed.
We have found a poem by Arnold Crompton. We think the beginning and end of this poem are especially suiting:
When I have moved beyond you in the adventure of life,
Gather in some pleasant place and there remember me
With spoken words, old and new.
Let a tear if you will, but let a smile come quickly
For I have loved the laughter of life.
....
I have followed the valleys,
I have climbed the heights of life.
On behalf of the European Complement Network (ECN)
Christoph Schmidt, secretary of ECN; Reinhard Würzner, president of ECN.
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Sir Peter Lachmann - a short obituary by the presidents of the ECN and ICS:
Dear colleagues
With deep sadness we must inform you that Sir Professor Peter Lachmann passed away on December 26th 2020, after having enjoyed celebrating his 89th birthday and the Christmas days with his family.
He was very energetic till his very last days equipped with a brilliant and sharp mind until his final hour.
Sylvia, a perfect alter-ego partner and companion for Peter for so many decades, told us that he went to sleep contented and never woke up – a deserved peaceful end for a great mind!
He has shaped the complement field for many decades and was one of its titans – we have already missed him at the last complement conferences and we will certainly miss him now even more.
Sylvia also provided us with one of Peter’s favourite poems from Omar Khayyam and we also think that feels apposite:
With them the Seed of Wisdom did I sow,
And with my own hand labour'd it to grow:
And this was all the Harvest that I reap'd --
"I came like Water and like Wind I go."
On behalf of The International Complement Society (ICS) and the European Complement Network (ECN)
Peter Garred, president of ICS; Reinhard Würzner, president of ECN.
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