Ryan Hellyer

RIP Mike!

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Dr Michael Hewitt Benn died in Calgary, Canada on Wednesday, December 21st at the age of 80. He was one hell of a guy. One of the nicest people I’ve ever met and the best boss anyone could ever ask for. He would do anything for anyone and was the epitome of kindness and generosity.

One of the last conversations I ever had with him involved him convincing me he had enough money to keep me employed for another three months. On pestering him about where the money was coming from, it turned out he was intending to make a trip to the bank and take my income out of his own personal account! I turned him down on that offer, but it is a shining example of how generous the man could be.

Mike, you will be sorely missed!

Dr Michael H. Benn

I worked for Mike at the University of Calgary 2004/2005. We published a paper about Lycoctonine … Lycoctonine revisited

Comments

3 responses to “RIP Mike!”

  1. carmel spicerr Avatar
    carmel spicerr

    Rest in Peace Mike. In all the 53 years I have known you since Imperial College, London when I typed your thesis I can only be relieved that you are now out of all the treatments and investigations and other discomforts you have been through. I miss your e-mails, you were very good at writing cheerful and encouraging things. Carmel

    1. Ryan Avatar
      Ryan

      Thanks for your comment Carmel. You knew him a lot longer than most of us by the sounds of it.

  2. john jacyno Avatar
    john jacyno

    I’m glad you put your comments about Mike into the “public record”.
    He was self-effacing to a fault, and wouldn’t have wanted much of a fuss about his death, but he deserves to be remembered as a very decent human being, and an excellent scientist.
    I still miss him.
    john

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