Richard E. Ewing Condolence Messages

Please accept my heartfelt condolences on the death yesterday of Dick Ewing. Dick's broad vision of advanced infrastructure for research and education, his steadfast commitment to partnering, and his substantial investments to support the vision and partnerships have been indispensable to our collective efforts. All of us owe to Dick enormous gratitude for his role in forming LEARN, receiving support from the Texas Enterprise fund for LEARN and TIGRE, and ensuring that Texas be well served by next-generation regional and national networking and grid computing.

On a personal note, I have always been grateful to Dick for his warm welcome to the College Station campus, to the Board of the original Texas GigaPOP, and to the community of Texas research and IT leaders. He was the embodiment of the wonderful spirit that (except for a few hours on the day after Thanksgiving) Texas A&M and UT could be the best of friends. His passing is a great loss to all who had the privilege of knowing him.

Dick was a true scholar and researcher and a great champion of promoting international education and research. Among the many accomplishments in his life, Dick played a critical role in expanding Texas A&M's international presence. His unique approach to internationalizing Texas A&M by linking the International Program Office with cutting-edge research programs is well-known and respected nationally. When new research opportunities with international impacts were identified, he ensured that the university found ways to maximize resources and expertise with foreign partners. This has led to strategic partnerships with Mexico, China, Qatar and others. His contributions were recognized by the National Association of State University and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC), a national association representing over 200 major public research university. NASULGC named him to the 2007 NASULGC Michael P. Malone International Leadership Award for his outstanding actions and foresight in promoting international education and research and building global competence on campus.

Dick's vision, his unique approach to internationalizing Texas A&M, and his commitment to research and its impact on society, will be greatly missed. He touched many lives. I know all of you will join me in keeping Rita and Dick's family in our thoughts and prayers in their time of need.

Pablo Sherwell Cabello, PhD class of 2006, and Jennifer G. Brown, class of 1997 and PhD class of 2006, would like to send our deepest condolences to the family of Dr. Ewing and also to the Office of the Vice President for Research, where we enjoyed several years of graduate assistantship employment during our doctoral studies. We will forever be grateful for Dr. Ewing's generosity and support.

Dick Ewing was an outstanding scientist and a tireless collaborator and mentor to dozens of scholars around the world. He had a profound influence on his disciplines and on every institution at which he worked. All of us who had the privilege of working with him will miss him. I wish strength and peace to Rita and to all of Dick's children and grandchildren.

This is a great shock and a terrible loss for science, international relations, Texas A&M, and Dick's countless friends. My association with him goes back to the late 1970s, when he was at Ohio State and I was in graduate school. We thought similarly about many things, worked together seamlessly, entered the petroleum industry at the same time, and then shared a great decade as neighbors in Wyoming and Colorado.

Dick was a mentor at a crucial, formative stage of my career, my first collaborator beyond my thesis. For that, and for his boundless energy, enthusiasm, and creativity that I could not help but benefit from, I will always be grateful. More importantly, I will always remember his friendship, kindness, and fundamental decency and integrity. It is no accident that he was able to marshal the sustained efforts of talented individuals all over the world in building the many scientific and educational organizations that survive him. People of all cultural and scientific backgrounds responded to Dick's sincerity in service of high purposes. He was a wonderful human being who will be deeply missed by us all. My heart goes out to Rita and his devoted family.

My real condolences to his family and to all the Aggie family. Dr. Ewing not only touched the people in the USA, he was many times in Mexico and here is the place that I knew him.

I feel really sad for the notice. I'll be praying for his soul and for his family and I hope that you can find all the comfort that you need in this moment.

I am with you in this distressing moment.

Dick Ewing was a remarkable gentleman who saw possibilities where others saw barriers. His thoughtful consideration of issues impacting international students, particularly graduate students, provided many changes that have directly impacted their lives in a positive way and thus also impacted the entire research community. Given his humble demeanor, I suspect that many of these students, and their faculty advisors, don't even know that he was such a champion for them. This is a tragic loss to the entire university community.

Dear Rita, Please know that my prayers and condolences go out to you and your family at this time. Dick was one of the most wonderful men I have ever known. He is going to be so missed by all who knew him. His work will benefit the academic and scientific community for years to come.

Thanks very much Ewing family for being a part of A&M and the A&M family. Dick's contributions are amazing in all realms. It was his assistance that enabled us to successfully compete for IODP.

Your entire family is in our thoughts and prayers. We miss him greatly.

Dr. Ewing never failed in gentleness, courtesy, or courage. He reached the pinnacle of success, and even at the top, he was always willing to serve others.

This is extremely sad and untimely news; I have known Dick for well over two decades and have always had the greatest admiration for his contributions to computational science and engineering. We shall all miss him.

The University has lost a great man. Not only was he brilliant and did great work professionally but his interest in people at a personal level made those he worked with feel special. He will never be forgotten by those touched. Thank you Dick Ewing.

Please accept our deepest condolences on the death of Dick Ewing. He was a wonderful person, researcher, and scientific leader. His death is a great loss for all his numerous friends and colleagues and anyone who has had a privilege of knowing him. We will truly miss him.

I met Dick for the first time at a conference in the 1980s. Dick gave one of the invited presentations at the conference. Needless to say, he wowed the audience with a combination of tackling an important, real world problem with cutting edge computational and mathematical prowess. After his presentation, I introduced myself to Dick and told him about some of my research. Even though I was a young, inexperienced researcher, Dick enthusiastically engaged me in conversation and encouraged me to follow-up with him. Since that time, I have had the pleasure of working with Dick on collaborative research projects. I have always been impressed with Dick's combination of technical research skills, his leadership, and his warmth as a person. Unfortunately, the last time I saw Dick in person was at a workshop in 2006 at the National Laboratory for Scientific Computing (LNCC) in Petropolis, Brazil. My sincerest sympathies to Dick's family and the Texas A&M faculty, staff, and students for their loss.

Richard Ewing has left a legacy. As a brilliant scientist, and inspired leader, a champion of research, a uniter of international collaborations, a nurturing mentor, a kind friend, a devoted and loving husband, father, and grandfather. He touched my life, and so many others. I grieve for his family, and as his friend and colleague. I feel forever blessed for having been touched by his presence when I worked for the VPR from 2000–2005. My prayers to Rita and the boys.

I have been knowing Dick since 1987 when he visited China for the first time and then I was privileged to be one of his Ph.D. students at the Department of Petroleum Engineering at University of Wyoming. Over more than 20 years, my career development has been always related to him in various respects. Dick was a great educator whose grand research vision always opened students eyes to see the challenges and the needs in solving a real-world problem. Dick was a great researcher who devoted his research life in bridging the gap between academic research and industry applications. Dick was a great university administrator who always stand firm to fulfill his duty. Dick was such fine human being with a warm heart and helped many people in their career development in various research disciplines. He will be remembered for his legacy as educator, researcher and, more importantly, a good man.

I am deeply saddened with the sudden death of my scientific advisor Richard Ewing. Dick was a person of vision, initiative, and huge energy to get things done in everything he touched. His record is tremendous and the number of people whose life he influenced positively is large. He touched my life and I am grateful for the chance I had to know him, to learn from him, to get inspired by him. I will miss him.

My sincere condolences to Rita, John, Larry, and Brad.

I began my academic career at the University of Wyoming, where Dick was one of the first leaders that I met. He was a great mentor as I learned about research in the field of enhanced oil recovery. He was a visionary leader and a strong champion of interdisciplinary research. He worked with mathematicians, geologists, engineers, and computer scientists to forge a large and successful team. I learned a great deal from him, and more important he was always a supportive friend and colleague. My deepest sympathies to Rita and the entire family.

Dick was a true scholar, "brother" and mentor to me. I felt extremely sad when I got the news. His passing is a great loss for all of us.

May God bless his family in this difficult time.

Ming Cui, visiting scholar at ISC from February 2005 to February 2006, would like to send my deepest condolences to the family of Dr. Ewing and also to the Institute for Scientific Computation, where I learned so much during my visit. I am deeply impressed by his great knowledge in mathematics and industry. I am still remembered that he worked so hard on his research.

He is so nice. I still remember that I am so honored that he appeared in my presentation on the conference which was hold in July in China. I had never thought of that it was the last time to meet him. I will forever be grateful for Dr. Ewing's support and guidance.

I met Dick 5 or 6 times over the last 3 years when he used to visit Texas A&M-Qatar Campus, but I feel like I've known him for many years. Dick was one of the first Texas A&M people to visit Qatar and he played a major role in establishing the campus here. He was a great advocate for research and development, and all of us in Qatar will miss his mentorship, experience, and friendship. He is a man who will be missed not only in the USA and Qatar, but in lots of other countries as well. Our prayers go to his family and may his soul rest in peace.

I have known Dick for over thirty years. He was always there to help me through these years. The world has lost a great man and I have lost a true friend.

I just wish that everyone could have had the chance to work with this remarkable man. He was a strong, visionary leader while also being one of the kindest people I know. I served as an associate vice president in his office for two years, from 2001–2003. And I watched him change the way that people across campus thought about their jobs… you could see his influence across the A&M community, in encouraging folks to value innovation, support collaborative research, and promote diversity in people and ideas. I always hoped that someway, somehow, I would get to be his colleague again. What fortune that I ever had that opportunity.

The tragic untimely loss of Dick Ewing has shocked and saddened us all. He embodied the spirit of Texas A&M in his words, actions and deeds. Not because he was an Aggie, but because he was genuinely a courageous, honest, hard-working man with integrity to spare. He always had Texas A&M's best interest at heart. But more importantly, he always tried to do the right thing for the right reasons. He led by example and his tender spirit was an encouragement to everyone who knew and worked with him. He will be sorely missed. Rita, we love you and we know that you will miss your devoted husband and friend. We will be praying for peace for you and your beautiful family in this time of sadness and loss.

Dick Ewing was deeply committed to improving international relations through collaborative research and international education, and his profound influence extends well beyond the Texas A&M community. I shall remain very grateful for his friendship and example of the highest standards of research and his tireless commitment to making the global community a great deal closer through his dedication to international friendship. Texas A&M is a profoundly better place because of his role here, and we shall miss him deeply.

It is really a bad shock to learn this sad news. On behalf of NSFC colleagues, good friends of Dr. Dick Ewing, I would like to express our deepest condolences on this sudden tragedy to Dr. Ewing's family, Rita and his children, and to Texas A&M.

We not only lost a best friend but also a leader who has contributed so much of his energy, his time, his enthusiasm and his academic expertise to explore and develop friendly and cooperative ties between scientific communities of US and China.

Dr. Dick Ewing will always be with us, he is living in our heart.

It is with great sadness that we mourn our colleague and friend. We shall miss his tremendous energy and support.

Dick had a profound impact on all of his coworkers. His warmth, sincerity, honesty and backing will be sorely missed.

Even though Dick's administrative and scientific accomplishments were truly astonishing, I respected him the most for the way that he would bend over backwards to help his friends, coworkers and colleagues. He was a truly remarkable friend.

His efforts enriched the lives of many. I was lucky to be part of a grand challenge research effort led by Dick in the early 90s and subsequently part of the numerical analysis and scientific computing group assembled here at A&M. To say that his efforts had a profound impact on our careers is an understatement.

Our hearts go out to his family at this time of great loss.

Dear Dick, Rita, John, Larry, Brad, your families, and the A&M Family.

Dick gave me my first job, at Ohio State. He and Rita taught me and Barbara what true collegiality is, by example. Through their life's work, in and out of the university setting, they exemplify humanity. These were not normal people, I understood early and often. They made me think Texas must be a good place with good people. It mattered a great deal that Dick believed in me; I hope he knew that.

Dick worked harder than anyone. I used to ask him why he was carrying around that huge briefcase full to the elastic limit, only to find myself, just a few years later, doing the same thing. Dick shrugged off such questions. So many projects, so little time. So many people to work with, assist, facilitate, so little time. I would say Dick maximized his time!

I also used to ask Dick why he worked on such tremendously difficult problems; it started in mathematics and engineering, but then lifted to higher planes and challenges. Again, he never really answered me. He would just kind of shrug his shoulders and smile. Perhaps to say, in time, you'll understand.

And Rita, what a wonderful person. The duo sits in a rarified class of the most influential in the lives of other people. There is no higher tribute to one's life than that. I am but one person who learned a lot about life and values from Dick and Rita. In our last venture together in the past year, at the University of South Carolina, Dick and I promised to try to get together, a double date for old times' sake. I suppose we would not play tennis, but in 1979, Dick had a mean game.

I am brought to tears of love and respect, of memories and lessons in life, that I will cherish forever. Rest in peace, Dick, but above all, rest. You deserve it. I look forward in the after life to make true on our double date.

And to the family, let us share your heavy heart and be comforted.

I close my thoughts of Dick with a true Texas tribute. Bum Phillips was a Texan to the bone, and he was asked what he thought of his star running back, Earl Campbell. I paraphase: When God forms his elite class of people who made a difference in the lives of others, Dick Ewing may not be in a class by himself. But, it sure won't take long to call roll.

Greg & Barbara

I will forever be grateful to Dr. Ewing for the impact he had on my life. In his memory, we should all strive to emulate those characteristics displayed daily by Dr. Ewing: in his passion for advancing the human condition, liberating minds and spirits, and for his soft-spoken, principled leadership. He will be deeply missed.

Dick Ewing was an internationally renowned scientist respected by all who knew him, but the part of Dick Ewing that I will remember the most was his relationship with Rita and his family. He was a wonderful husband, father and grandfather. Dick was quiet and unassuming in so many ways, but I will remember the sparkle in his eyes when the conversation turned to Rita, the boys and his grandbabies. The loss of Dick Ewing is tragically sad for all of us who loved and respected him. Rita, you are constantly in my heart.

I have extremely fond memories of Dick which I wish to share. I am shocked and upset at his early and sudden death. I wish to express my utmost sympathies to Rita and Dick's personal family and extended mathematical family. In fall of 1977, thirty years ago, Dick and I were both in our first year at Ohio State University as experienced assistant professors. I remember Dick as if it were yesterday. Our families had similar very young children (just John and Larry for Dick and Rita, then and both less than six). I played a little tennis with Dick. He was a high school tennis star from Texas, and I wasn't, so I had to retreat as far as possible on the court to attempt to return his serve. He was very competitive, and very nice about it. The mathematics department had 95 members then, which seemed to be all pure mathematicians to Dick and me. Dick spent a lot of time trying to develop a computational and applied mathematics program for OSU. I remember Dick was teaching a very advanced linear algebra class to about sixty engineering graduate students, and he was determined to be the absolutely best teacher in the world. I am sure he was. Dick was from Texas (and I wasn't). Dick would tell me he wanted to return to Texas. To me Texas seemed a very foreign place. Ironically, the next year I moved to SMU in Dallas, Texas, while Dick stayed at Ohio State for another few years. Then, Dick moved to Dallas in 1980 to head up the computational effort for Mobil Research and Development, which was then headquartered in Dallas. Dick stayed for three years before moving to the University of Wyoming. Our families shared a few Dallas Cowboy football games on TV on Sundays.

The Mexico Center had the pleasure to work under the guidance of Dr. Ewing. Dr. Ewing not only astonished us with his professional skills, but also with his captivating warmth and kindness. He was a man full of immense wisdom, great courage, and strong values. The Mexico Center is saddened to lose such a dear friend and extends the most sincere condolences to his family and friends.

Texas A&M University has lost one of its greatest leaders. Today the heart and soul of Aggieland is in pain with the passing of one of its own. Dick Ewing was an Aggie in every sense of the word and he lived by the standards that this institute holds dear and he never compromised any of them. The University and all that knew and loved Dick will be better for having been touched by his greatness. I knew Dick, not for his intellect, but for the man he was and the gentle giant we all loved. God bless Rita and the family during this time and always. Dick, we miss you and your leadership already.

Dr. Ewing is by far one of the greatest men I have ever known. I only had the privilege of working as his student worker for about a year and a half, but in that time I became extremely fond of him. No matter how busy he was, he always had time to stop by our desk and say hello, or even give us a hug. He had such a warm and caring heart and he never once treated me as if I was only a student worker. He made me feel like I was an important part of that office and I feel truly blessed to have known and worked with him. My deepest condolences go to Rita and his sons, and I pray that God will grant you his peace and his strength as you mourn the loss of your husband and father.

I was a student worker in the College of Science Dean's Office for two years while I attended Texas A&M. I was around Dr. Ewing quite a bit and always took notice of the respect that his friends and colleagues had for him. He was usually pretty quiet around me, but I figured he had other things on his mind that were more important than keeping up with all the student workers. When I graduated, long after I had left the College of Science, he got out of his chair at the commencement ceremony to shake my hand as I received my diploma. I always appreciated him for doing that. He will be sorely missed.

Please accept my most sincere condolences. How could so many years pass so quickly? I shall forever consider myself blessed by the 10 years spent in your company in Laramie. I learned many things from you and Dick, but foremost was how to be gracious and generous, combining professional and personal in a way that inspired everyone to do his or her best. I am proud to have known Dick, and to watch him become an incredible force for excellence. At this unimaginable time, what a pleasure it must be to read all the notes that have come. Dick will be alive for a great many for many, many years to come with so many of us.

Dear Rita and family,

We have known each other since our student days and this time has come too quickly for us. Dick was generous, steadfast, patient, and a great motivator. More importantly, he was the truest of friends. We have lost a great man.

Sincerely,
Bobby, Carla, Rob, Todd, Suz, and Bronwyn

Please accept our deepfelt condolences on the death of Richard Ewing.

In 1996 he was elected as an honorary doctor at the University of Bergen. He was a giant as a scientist, but even more important was his tireless effort in building international relationships in science. He contributed immensely to the building of our research program in reservoir mechanics and applied mathematics. He has been a mentor for a number of our scientists and students, but first of all we will remember him as the kind, generous and honest person he was. He and also his wife Rita, visited Bergen several times, and our warm thoughts go to Rita and the family.

It was unbearable and sad news that reached me yesterday. Dick was my mentor when I changed my field of research in the early 1980s. Since then I have spent three fruitful sabbatical stays with his group. For the moment, we were planning and looking forward to a joint stay in Stuttgart in the coming spring semester. Over the years he has contributed immensely to the building of our program in reservoir and applied mathematics research. He has been a mentor for a number of scientists and students in the group.

I feel endlessly grateful for all his help, enthusiasm, creativity and for his sharing of broad knowledge with us. His commitment to research, the social impact of his research, combined with his kindness, honesty and integrity, made him a deeply respected and successful builder of international cooperation. Dick seemed to have unbounded energy, but many of us were really worried about his extreme workload and his overcommitment to serve.

I will always remember him for his kindness, his integrity and his honesty, but most of all, for his friendship. He will be deeply missed and our thoughts and warm feelings go to Rita and the family.

For all of his many friends in Bergen:

Dr. Calvin,

I wanted to extend my deepest condolences to you at this time of such great pain and loss. I know at times such as these we can find solace in the fond memories of those we have lost and in the arms of those that we love. I pray that you and your family will find comfort in those around you who loved and respected Dr. Ewing as much as you have.

I am indebted to both you and Dr. Ewing for your faith in me as a student worker since 2004 and for such a short time as an employee. The experience that I gained during my time at VPR has allowed me to pursue a career that I am truly passionate about, and for that I will always be grateful to you both.

Sincerely,
Rachel

Making a positive difference is the legacy of any life. A leader betters the lives of many, despite difficulties. Dick Ewing will be remembered for his legacy of leadership that created profound opportunities for the future of TAMU. We extend our deepest gratitude to Dick's family for his leadership at TAMU, and his kindness to all. Know in this time of loss that his legacy, contributing to the international recognition and future of TAMU, will remain.

We have not met yet, but know that I am profoundly saddened by your (our) loss. I have been the benefactor of Dick's kindness, vision and leadership for four years here at Texas A&M. Very few people know these facts, but my intent is for this to change. I had admired Dr. Ewing from a distance but recently I had the great fortune to work closely with him for the last year. This has impacted me deeper than I can describe in words.

My hope was to contribute to his benefit in return for his complete dedication to higher education — to create a better world. He did this in the spirit of true love and service. I lost my father this year as well. Dr. Ewing and my father were of the same spirit, one of selfless service. He was my mentor.

We were all so fortunate to have him in our lives and I truly believe his spirit will support us to create the better and more peaceful world he had envisioned. I received an apropos quote from another great American yesterday:

I do the very best I know how — the very best I can; and mean to keep doing so until the end. If the end brings me out all right, what is said against me won't amount to anything.

I'm very sad to hear about Dick's passing. He was an incredibly generous person, with a big heart and a big brain. A great loss.

Rita and family,

It is really shocking news about Dick's demise. We pray that God gives you strength to bear the loss.

Dick, my friend, depression came as shocking news arrived about your passing away. I knew you were very tired. You need to go to a place for a long rest with peace; no phone calls, no emails. But how could you go away so quick, leaving everything behind without care. It was like yesterday that we had a discussion on superconvergence. The tea on the table is still hot, the ink on the paper is still wet. That numerical analysis seminar isn't finished yet. Dick, wake up… it is time to have more chat.

Yes, it is getting late. It is time for you to have a break. You won't be bothered for another question or request. Dick, please go to sleep… sleep, and sleep well. You will be long, long remembered — as a friend and as a mentor.

I was shocked to hear this very sad news. Dick did a lot of great things to the China and US research cooperation, in particular in the energy area. One time he told me that he traveled many times to China in the last 10 years, in fact which is almost about twice of mine. He was truly an international leader and scholar. He will be missed.

Please pass on our condolences to his family and let them know they are in our thoughts.

Dick was a great colleague and one of the rare academics who could also credibly claim the title of "Applied Mathematician." When I first began working for Mobil, Dick was already well established. From the first day he made me feel welcome, always generously sharing of his time and his talents. He brought out the best in those he worked with, both personally and academically. We shall always have Dick in our memories. For that, we can be truly grateful.

Dick Ewing was a great man with a noble and gentle spirit. I began working for him in 1998 and was always amazed at his intellect, charmed by his wit, and comforted by his warmth. He was a wonderful, unselfish mentor and friend. I will miss him greatly. My prayers are with Rita, the entire Ewing family, and with all of his dear friends.

Dear Rita,

I am sorry for your and your family's lost. Dick was a great friend, colleague and human being.

He will be sorely missed. I owe him a lot.

My sincerest condolences,
Benito

My heart goes out to Dr. Ewing's family and friends. His kind and generous spirit have touched so many, making his loss so unbearable. I consider it both an honor and a privilege to have known and worked with him.

My thoughts and prayers go to his family, may your memories give you strength at this difficult time.

I was deeply shocked and saddened to learn of Dick's untimely passing. I have known Dick for more than thirty years. I not only have admired his talent, commitment, and broad scientific vision but I have had the privilege of considering him a friend. He will be missed and remembered.

I and my University of Houston colleagues would like to extend our deepest sympathy and condolences to his family. As they proceed through the difficult months ahead I would like for them to know that our thoughts are with them.

Dick had made so much accomplishments in such short time and inspired so many people all over the world. He was a great leader, mentor and friend. As one of Dick's students, I will forever treasure the memories with Dick in Laramie, Chicago, Denver, Boulder, Columbia, Oak Ridge, Princeton, Stony Brook and College Station. Dick will be remembered by all of us and his life will be celebrated forever. Dear Rita and the family, please accept our sincerest condolences, our thoughts are with you.

We lost a mathematician, an educator, a hard worker, a capable teacher, please accept our heartfelt condolence. We were all touched by Professor Richard E. Ewing in so many different ways, as work colleagues, as friends, as students.

We have lost a special friend, mentor and teacher. Professor Richard E. Ewing has given us a personal model from which we can work.

We convey to Professor Richard E. Ewing's family and friends our condolences. We shed some tears and shared warm memories and although we are separated by the tyranny of distance, we are with him in spirit. Professor Richard E. Ewing is living in our heart. Let this legend rest in peace.

I am deeply saddened by Dick Ewing's passing and wish to express my deepest sympathies to his family. For twenty years Dick has been one of my most valued associates. He served as mentor for my PhD students at Montana State University. We traveled together and through him my association with colleagues around the world was enhanced immeasurably. He introduced me to Benito (Wyoming), Rainer (Stuttgart), Magne, Jan and Helge (Norway), Mike Celia, Jens and Guan, Yalchin, Joe and Raytcho at the ISC, and his son John. I hold all of theses relationships in high regard on both a professional and personal level and none of them would likely have happened if I had not known Dick. I will miss him terribly.

I celebrate his memory as a colleague, mentor and friend.

Mrs. Ewing and family,

I want to convey my wife's and my sincerest condolences to you in your loss. It was an honor and privilege for me to be a part of Dr. Ewing's staff for most of the past two years here at Texas A&M. That is not a long time, compared to so many others who are mourning the loss of this great and good man, but it was more than enough for me to gain a deep appreciation and respect for him. From the moment I began working in the office of the Vice President for Research in 2005, it was clear to me that Dr. Ewing had created and sustained something very, very special here — a team that always took enormous inspiration from his vision and professionalism, while also benefiting from his constant consideration and true interest in each one of us. I will always be grateful for the wonderful opportunity I have had to work for Dr. Ewing, and will never forget him.

May God bless and keep you and your family in this sad hour, and bring you comfort in all the days and years to come.

I was so shocked and saddened to hear of Dr. Ewing's death. It has been many years since I've seen Dr. Ewing, but only fond memories fill my mind as I think back on the time that I knew him. I am grateful for the opportunity he provided me to work in the College of Science Dean's Office. I was just a young, recent graduate — and I remember initially feeling intimidated by him since he was serving as Dean at that time. My intimidation quickly turned to admiration, as I was so struck by his friendliness and the way he was so welcoming towards me. It is incredible to read what so many of Dr. Ewing's friends and colleagues have written about him over the past two days & the words that express such love and appreciation for him are almost breathtaking. He made such an overwhelming impact on so many lives and the research community, and I feel honored to have known him, even for a brief time.

Praying that the Lord will comfort you with His peace, surround you in His love, and encourage you with His presence.

Dick Ewing's untimely passing is a terrible shock and a tremendous loss.

Dick was an advisor and a friend to me dating back from the days I was in graduate school in the late 1970s, and I feel lucky to have had numerous opportunities to interact with him since. I came away from each interaction a little wiser, and more in awe of Dick's abilities and indefatigability. Dick accomplished so much, both as a scientist and as a scientific leader. And he did so with unfailing grace, always a gentleman.

Dick will be greatly missed by the many he has touched directly, but the benefits from his astonishing range of contributions will be long felt by many, many more.

I am deeply saddened by the loss of a dear friend Dick Ewing. I have known him since early 1980s. We worked for the same company and kept in touch over twenty-five years. He had a great mind for research and science. He was always very pleasant and friendly person. His departure is a great loss for the world scientific community. My deepest condolences to his family and his friends.

I was really shocked and felt extremely sad to hear about Dick's passing. We lost an international scientific leader and scholar. He will be truly missed.

Please pass on my deepest condolences to his family.

Noted leadership author Stephen Covey, in his book The 8th Habit, suggested to each of us that we build our life on three principles: Love, Learning (and unlearning) and Leave a Legacy. In his all too short life, Dick Ewing personified these principles. He loved and was loved by family, students, and colleagues at home and abroad. Dick was always learning and unlearning and served as a role model for so many of us in his dedication to learning and creating networks for shared learning. And what a legacy Dick is leaving … a wonderful family; a University that has advanced so much under his research leadership; personal and institutional relationships that literally span the globe. Living and working in China for the past 13 years, I have admired not only Dick's leadership in College Station and the U.S., but also here in China where he is well-known and respected by so many researchers, administrators and friends. A lasting legacy indeed.n He will be a lasting role model, remembered and missed.

I am thankful that I was able to work in Dr. Ewing's office as a student worker. As mentioned earlier, Dr. Ewing always took the time to say hello and ask us how our day was going. My most memorable moment with Dr. Ewing was my graduation ceremony. After my name was called, I accepted my diploma and shook Dr. Gates's hand. The next person I saw was Dr. Ewing stepping forward to give me a hug and his congratulations. Moments such as this epitomized Dr. Ewing's character. He will be truly missed. My thoughts and prayers are with Rita, his family, and friends.

With great sorrow, I have to accept the tragic fact that Dick has left us forever. He has been so supportive for junior researchers like me. As one of his post docs, I am forever grateful for his mentoring.

Not too long ago, on his 61st birthday, I sent him an email and got his response with words of encouragement on the same day. I thought he could have more time to stay with his family, after so many years overloaded with research and administration.

I was completely shocked by the sad news on the very morning of December 6. I just could not believe it. Why was such a great leader and mentor taken away from us suddenly? Dick has helped so many people and contributed so much to this land. Why was such a fine man taken away from us suddenly?

We can no longer receive his emails or talk to him over the phone, but his smiles stay in our memory forever. Dick's legacy will be remembered around the world. He lives in our hearts.

We have lost a friend with a big heart! Regardless of his enormous loading, he was always able to give his support and encouragements to those who need this. He opened many new roads in the science, and he made the science more open for many of us. He had many friends and collaborators, but he always still had place in his big heart for new friendships, for informal relations with people he worked with. I was among those lucky persons who were touched by his great personality, and I will be terribly missing him.

Please accept our deepest condolences on the death of Dr. Ewing. He was an honorary guest professor of Shandong University and did a lot of things to the SDU and TAMU research cooperation, in particular in the area of scientific computing. He was truly an international leader and scholar. We shall always have him in our memories.

On behalf of all the office personnel and field staff of the Center for Housing and Urban Development, I would like to express our most heartfelt condolences to Dr. Ewing's family and colleagues. Dr. Ewing was one of the first people I met at Texas A&M when I joined the community two years ago.

Subsequently, I had the opportunity and the honor to get to know Dr. Ewing in both formal and informal settings, and I quickly learned what a great man he was, both as a person and as a scholar. He was also a great friend and supporter of our Center, especially of our work in the Colonias along the Texas/Mexico border. He will be dearly missed, but his legacy will live on within all of us whose lives he touched.

With deepest respect and sympathy,

I was pained to receive the message about Richard's death at such an early age. It has been more than 30 years since Dick was at Oakland University but he impressed the mathematics faculty that he was going to have a brilliant career. It was always enjoyable discussing problems with him and gaining new insights for my own research. You have our deepest heartfelt sympathy Rita.

I was really shocked and felt extremely sad to hear this sudden tragedy. Dr. Ewing was an honorary guest professor of Shandong University and visited our university several times. We not only lost a best friend but also a leader who has contributed so much to develop friendly and cooperative ties between Shandong University and Texas A&M University, especially in the area of scientific and industrial computing. He will be truly missed. Please pass on our deepest condolences to his family.

I was so shocked to hear this tragic news. Dr. Ewing was such a great scientist, truly a giant in mathematical science community. In addition, he is such a kind person, a mathematical brother to me. It is a huge loss for all of us. My deep condolence goes to Mrs. Ewing and the family.

I've met many wonderful people in my life, but very few have left the impression that Dr. Ewing did. He was always so caring and never hesitated to ask how things were going, whether it be about life or school. Texas A&M will surely miss one of the greatest men to walk this campus, however, he will be missed greatly as a husband, father, and friend as well. I feel so blessed to have known him for a short 2 ½ years and cannot imagine what knowing him for a lifetime would have been like. My favorite memory will always be when he came with me to get my Aggie Ring. I felt so honored to have him there and for him to make every effort to be there, having asked me numerous times When are you getting your Aggie Ring? Though I always figured he would be too busy to make it, he proved me wrong, and I will be forever grateful. This ring on my hand will always bring back that memory of him and who he was. To Rita, his sons and their wives and children — my thoughts and prayers go out to you in this time of sorrow. Know that he is in a much higher place now than he ever was on this earth and while we cannot see him he is watching over us. May God give you the peace and comfort to get through this time and strength to press on towards to future, remembering who he was and the wonderful times you shared together.

To all the things that have been said, I'd like to add how much everybody at the MIC came to value Dr. Ewing's patronage. This was particularly the case during challenging times related to the provision of core research instrumentation. The MIC would not be where it is today without Dick's support!

I also valued Dick for holding effective meetings — concise, to the point, and on time. Let's hope we can keep the momentum he established going. I am certain he would love to witness this from above.

It is a nice memory in my life, when I worked with Dick for 2005–2006 in Texas A&M University. He was a good friend and brother of all Chinese students and staffs in the university.

He efficiently organized a research group on reservoir simulation and ground water flow in porous media in ISC, and I had the chance to join it.

He will live in my heart all time.

I've known Dick since I was a graduate student and he has been a role model, a mentor and a friend to me. Over the years, I've learned a great deal from many important papers he had written and from various valuable wisdom that he had generously shared with me. While I had interacted with Dick mostly during brief gatherings, I together with my family had an opportunity to spend nearly a week in summer 2005 with Dick and Rita in Berlin when Dick was receiving his Alexander Humboldt Foundation award. We did a lot of fun things together. My daughter always turned to him whenever she had a question or needed an opinion. It was a memorable week and Dick was such a gentleman.

Dick was truly an international leader in both research and education. In particular he had very close contact with the scientific community in China and had made tremendous impact to a lot of people. Indeed my last meeting with Dick was in Beijing in the past summer during the Inaugural Conference on Computational Methods in Energy and Environmental Research. We actually had made some plan to collaborate on some research projects. But how could I expect that would be the last meeting? We got to work hard to continue what Dick left off!

Dick, we will all miss you so much! Rest in peace!

Dick was an outstanding scientist and educator, a genuinely kind individual, and a person of the highest personal and professional integrity. I met Dick many years ago when I was at Schlumberger and later at IBM, but I got to interact more with him over the recent years as one of my principal investigators in NSF funded projects. Over all the times I have known Dick, I was always impressed with his technical strengths, expertise, experience and wisdom, the enthusiasm and passion that he had for his work, and the extreme consideration that he showed for others. Although his scientific contributions will remain forever among us, we, his colleagues, will miss him as a scientist and as a person.

To Dick's family I extend my deepest condolences. I hope that Dick's family is comforted by their good memories of him and by the knowledge that his professional colleagues and the scientific community have the highest praise for Dick.

I just wanted to extend my condolence to Dick Ewing's family and his colleagues and friends. Dick and I crossed paths briefly during a small conference a couple of years ago, but he left a lasting impression of an accomplished and caring person.

Dick was a colleague, a friend, and a mentor for the fifteen years we both spent at Texas A&M. During the three years I worked for him as an Associate VPR he was always ready to find creative solutions to challenging problems and he would motivate and encourage us to do our best. He loved taking risks and being at the edge. It is amazing that after three years working with him I have no bad experience to remember, but only good memories. The last very recent memory is when Dick was orchestrating a big proposal submission and a group of us were proofreading the final version that was about to be submitted with many parallel tasks undergoing completion, just in time. Always at the edge, always with a smile, creative and tireless, always in our hearts.

Plenty of words have been offered recounting Dr. Ewing's exceptional work as a scientist and an administrator, and rightfully so. He was a true professional who made the most of his expertise and skills. However, others have spoken to that truth far more precisely than I could, so I will convey what most impressed me in my short time around Dick Ewing. I worked in a division of his office for most of 2005, and I found him to be conspicuously thoughtful and kind for a man of such position and responsibility. He was understated and sincere, but he treated people with respect and kindness, regardless of their position.

My favorite memory of Dr. Ewing occurred only a few months after I began working for VPR. My boss was expecting and a small baby shower was thrown at her home. I was the only man in attendance for the first part of the shower, and I confess to feeling a bit out of place. Then there was a knock at the door, and there stood Dick Ewing, gift in hand. I was both relieved to have him there and deeply impressed that he made a point to come to a baby shower for an employee, miles from campus. I can only imagine how this spirit and kindness translated for his family and friends. I offer my sincere sympathy and prayers for Rita, their sons, grandchildren, and friends. May you experience the peace and presence of God amidst your grief.

We wish to send our collective heartfelt sorrow on the passing of a truly great man, a leader and a friend. You were always there to support our efforts to make Texas A&M the best it could be and did everything in your power to help us. You were truly a champion of research, a true scholar and a dear friend to many. We will endeavor to continue the work you have started, although with heavy hearts. You will be missed Dr. Ewing.

This is a great shock and a terrible loss for science and international relations. I feel extremely sad and deeply sorry. I still remember the badge symbolizing the friendship between the Chinese and American people at his birthday party in the Summer Palace. I had never thought this badge becomes the perpetual memorial.

Dear Rita,

Our thoughts are with you at this time of sorrow. We have lost an outstanding scientist and facilitator and friend, but you have lost your best friend and soul mate for forty years.

Please accept my heartfelt condolences on the loss of Dr. Ewing. There will never be enough words to express my sincere gratitude to Dick. He was a wonderful mentor, colleague and friend. Dick was instrumental in the implementation of the Qatar campus and as the founding Director of the Qatar Support Office his support and guidance were key to the success of the program. I will miss Dick tremendously.

Dear Mrs. Ewing and the Whole Family,

Please accept our deepest condolences on the death of Dick. We will always remember Dick as the kindest colleague and a great scientist.

We will never forget Dick sitting in our house in Cracow, in June 1991, literally a couple of hours after his arrival in Cracow, totally exhausted from the trip. Dick was then one of few friends who responded to our invitation to attend a workshop that we organized then in Cracow, an event that at the time was very important for us.

I have been meeting Dick regularly during the Finite Element Rodeos. And although I have not had a chance to work with him personally, all my friends that have worked with him have always had only the kindest words about him and his friendship.

We will keep Dick and You in our prayers.

What an unassuming and dear man we have lost. I had the pleasure of meeting him only recently, but I will always remember him for his deep scientific curiosity and his gracious manner.

I was shocked when I heard that Dr. Dick Ewing passed away so suddenly. I met him several times during my tenure at UT-Austin.

I always admired him so much due to his great scientific contributions. I had a close contact with him when I organized the 2006 NSF-CBMS conference held in Unversity of Nevada Las Vegas. He was so humble to accept my invitation and came to Vegas just for one day to deliver an interesting talk to the conference.

In the end, he did not even want any reimbursement from UNLV! What a great man he was!

I was terribly shocked when I learned that Dick passed away. This is a big loss for the mathematical community due to Dick's profound scientific contributions and extraordinary leadership skills and influences. But mostly, I, and many others whose lives were touched and influenced by Dick, lost a very kind friend, a brother, and a mentor. All of us will miss him greatly.

I was a fraternity brother of Dick's at the University of Texas. Although I have not been able to follow all his accomplishments it is of no surprise to me that he has accomplished great things during his lifetime academically and professionally. However, as great and accomplished as he was in his work he was even a better person.

About 10 years ago my daughter went up to visit Texas A&M for orientation prior to her freshman year. Like most parents I thought it would be a good thing if she knew a grownup or someone older who would be available in case of any kind of trouble or special needs. I had not seen Dick Ewing in 30 years but somehow I find out he was at Texas A&M so I set out to pay him a visit on campus. When I arrived at his office I told his secretary that I had been a fraternity brother of his and wondered if I could visit with him a minute concerning my daughter's arrival at A&M. I had no idea until I got to his office that he was the Dean of Engineering. His secretary asked that I wait in a room while she went to tell him. Dick came out and we visited for a few minutes and I explained that my daughter was coming to A&M and I was a little concerned since it was such a large school. The ironic part of this is (and he never said this ) he did not remember me… however, when we finished talking he took out his business card and wrote his home phone number on the back and said to me, if your daughter ever needs anything just have her call me at this number. As I walked out of his office I remember thinking, boy, A&M is a great place… A&M was a great place but this was Dick Ewing being a great human being.

If you did not respect or like Dick Ewing you did not respect or like anyone!

Dear Friends: I was so sorry and shocked to learn of Dick's passing. Like all who were touched by his caring and competence, Oak Ridge Associated Universities was much enriched through our relationship with him. He served on our board of directors a few years past, and as in everything he did, Dick made such lasting contributions to our organization. He will be missed by the entire university research and education enterprise of the nation and around the world.

Familia Ewing y Texas A&M University,

Ante la imposibilidad de hacerlo personalmente como es mi deseo, reciban mis más sinceras condolencias por el lamentable deceso del Profesor Richard Ewing.

Al expresarles mis condolencias le agradeceré hacerlas extensivas a toda su familia y hago votos por una pronta resignación.

Dr. Ewing has given me some of the best professional gifts in my life; first a job in the College of Science, second a promotion so I would stay in the College of Science, and then Joe Newton as my boss. How blessed I was at Texas A&M — and a large part was due to Dr. Ewing. During the past ten years, he also gave me his friendship. I was so happy to see him at meetings and events because he would always give me a hug, and make sure I was doing well. Very rarely are we blessed with someone who genuinely cares about people. How surprised and happy I was when Dr. Ewing made it to my going away party this summer for one last hug. How heart wrenching it is to me now that it will be my last hug. Dear Rita — you are so special, and I cannot imagine this has happened to you. To Dr. Ewing's many friends — I join you in your sorrow.

To the family of Dr. Ewing,

My husband and I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Ewing once, when we first visited our daughter after she began working for him at the College of Sciences at Texas A&M. He was such a kind and gracious man. I know by all she said that he was a special person and boss to her. She thought the world of him. Because of what she has said, I want to thank him through you for what he gave her, a career she loved, support and encouragement along the way and challenges to grow that she grabbed hold of and used to succeed. You are in our thoughts and prayers at this oh so difficult time. God Bless.

Dear Rita, John, Larry, and Brad,

The reality today is grim, merciless, and cruel — Dick is no longer among us. You have lost a loving husband and a dedicated father; I have lost a dear friend, a vigorous collaborator, and a helpful colleague; our family has lost a true friend and supporter; our university has lost an accomplished scholar, a capable administrator, and an industrious faculty; the international scientific community has lost an exceptional leader; and the world has lost a great man.

There are no words to explain our sadness, grief, and sorrow! The fond memories of our more than twenty years of friendship and joint work are the only comfort to me. Our precious memories go back to my family's first "adventure" behind the Iron Curtain, when in 1987 we visited the University of Wyoming. Dick's brilliance, generosity, and great personality were my first discovery in America. The unconditional support and love of his wonderful family made the remote and cold Wyoming the warmest and the most attractive place in the world for me and my family. And this was not just us, many Bulgarian colleagues, collaborators, and students were attracted by Dick's vigorous research program and leadership and were greatly influenced by him. It is no wonder that last year Dick was awarded a medal by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences for his contribution to science and for supporting science in Bulgaria.

Blessed are all who had the chance to work with this remarkable man. I was one of them. Dick has been the most influential person in my professional and personal life. Furthermore, he has influenced tremendously the lives of my family, my students, my colleagues and many scientists around the world. He has been a tireless champion of research and education. Dick was a man with a big heart, a man one can count on to share one's joy in happy times and to support one in difficult times.

While writing these words my eyes are full of tears, my heart is full of sorrow, and my soul is crying! I will cherish forever Dick's lessons in life, our joint work, and our wonderful friendship.

Rest in peace, dear friend. We shall miss you very, very much!

I am deeply saddened to hear the sudden demise of Prof. Richard Ewing.

My first interaction with Prof. Richard Ewing started when I was a visiting fellow in ISC, Texas A&M University during January 2004 to December 2004. My discussions with him are still fresh in my mind.

He is a great mathematician, numerical analyst and above all he is an excellent human being.

I express my heartfelt condolence to his bereaved family and pray God may rest his soul in peace.

Dear Members of the Ewing Family,

For all Bulgarian mathematicians and computer science specialists, who have met and collaborated with Dick Ewing, to learn the sad news about his death came as deep shock. It is a great loss for all of us.

Dick has a great contribution to the scientific research done in the Institute for Parallel Processing of Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IPP-BAS) in the fields of numerical methods, scientific computing, industrial mathematics, vector and parallel computing, etc. He has visited Bulgaria five times and during his visits he has established deep scientific contacts with the leading Bulgarian scientists in mathematics, mathematical modelling and parallel algorithms. He has been a scientific advisor of several Bulgarian PhD students and Postdocs as well as a coordinator of joint Bulgaria–USA NSF Project. He has published more than 20 high quality scientific papers with Bulgarian co-authors in some leading journals all over the world. For his contributions to the recent advances in computational mathematics and scientific computing, and their applications in engineering and environmental sciences and for his 60th anniversary, in 2007 he was awarded the Honored Sign "For Service to the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences." Please, accept our deepest condolences on Dick's death. We will terribly miss him.

The news about Dick struck us in the heart. We knew Dick as an outstanding leader, brilliant scientist and colleague, a great personality, and a generous, reliable and warm personal friend. He was relaxed and open-minded, he was able to bring people together and — incredibly for somebody in his position — he had time and discussed science in every minute he could get off. His life was devoted to support others, in particular younger scientists. Our visits to him and his visits to us were highlights. He was a role model, a hero of computational science, who has a lasting seat in the hall of fame of this discipline. What's more, however, he was a close and dear personal friend who will stay irreplaceable in our hearts.

We wish you plenty of strength day by day that you are able to bear this incredible loss and live on in his spirit. May god comfort you.

I am deeply saddened by the premature departure of Dr. Ewing of this world. Beside my thesis advisor, Dick has been my research mentor since my doctoral dissertation and I have benefited a lot from his guidance and many helpful hints for my research, especially during my nine-month postdoctoral stay at ISC. Rita and family, please accept my sincere sympathy for the loss of, not only a husband and a father of your family, but also a spiritual father and pioneer for the scientific computation community.

I would like to express my deepest condolences about the sudden death of Dick — I will be grateful forever for the generous support I received from him during my PostDoc stay at the ISC in 1995 and afterwards.

To Rita and your family: my thoughts and my sympathy are with you in these difficult times.

I have just learned today of Dick's sudden and unexpected passing, and am shocked and deeply saddened by this news.

Dick was a great friend and colleague during my time on the faculty of the IBT and TAMU (1992–2000), and I have many wonderful memories of our working together on joint projects and initiatives.

Dick was a true visionary, and one of the few individuals who truly understood and believed in distributed collaboration to foster scientific as well as broad academic interactions, and inter-connecting multiple campuses in the TAMU System and in the state in meaningful ways.

His efforts in particular to integrate the IBT in Houston into the broader TAMU community was most welcome.

Please accept my deepest condolences on the loss of Dr. Ewing. He was a great person and a strong leader, he has left a permanent print on our memories. We will miss him.

It is such shocking and sad news about Dick's passing away. For many years, Dick has been one of my most valued friends. He inspired and supported the growth of generations of Chinese mathematician. He was a careful scholar, a passionate teacher and a sincere friend. His legend in research and education will rest in our hearts.

I was informed today of Dick's tragic passing. I am most shocked and deeply saddened. Dick was a strong supporter and pioneer of U.S. scientific research cooperation with China's oil industry, and my very best personal friend for the past 10 years. He was a well accomplished scientist, a vigorous visionary, and a dedicated colleague, most of all, he was a true friend. During Dick's many trips to China, he demonstrated his exceptional commitment to promote China-U.S. research collaboration, his deep friendship with Chinese colleagues and his deep understanding of local culture by his uttermost kindness, sincerity, humor and "ocean capacity."

Our wonderful conversations at Dick's 60th Birthday celebration at the Summer Palace in July and the China-U.S. Conference in DC in October are still fresh and vivid. Dick's passing is a loss for the cause of China-U.S. relations, and I have lost a true friend. I know that numerous Chinese colleagues mourn over this tragic news.

We were saddened to hear of Dick's passing, it was a shock to say the least. Both Mohamed and I have very fond memories of the times we spent with Dick, he was a very special person and our thoughts are with his family and friends.

Dick may be gone but he will not be forgotten by any of us that he touched in some way or another.

May we all be reminded not to mourn the passing but to celebrate the life of such a warm, intelligent human being.

Dick was truly a good friend and I was deeply saddened to hear of his unexpected passing. He has left an outstanding legacy of scientific collaboration that I hope will continue for a long time. His contributions to research projects at Sinopec will be missed.

I feel a great loss with the passing of Dick Ewing. Truly we have lost a wonderful friend and scientist. Dick was such a humble man, and he was always helpful to me. I hope all the warm admiration of his colleagues will be a comfort to his family at this difficult time.

I am very grateful for the chance to have known Dick, and I feel deeply sympathetic to his family at this time of loss. I will forever treasure the memories of the many times he visited China. He was a great thinker and friend.