Obituaries

We're just two South Carolinians who never met Nick, but he was - by far - our favorite character on the Up series. So humble, so affable, smart and successful. We were thrilled to learn he remarried and send our sympathies to the Hitchon family. Nick seemed like a very special person with a big heart.

Cryss - I am thinking of you, as always, and hope that you are feeling encompassed by the love of many, many friends, old and new. I hold you in my heart. Amy Dailey Cooper

As a fellow ex-pat Yorkshire man only a couple of years younger than Nick, it's been a privilege to watch him grow up and thrive over my own and my wife's lifetimes. Gone too soon, but what legacies in both Science and the Televisual Arts to have left!

It was only today (September 1) that I learned about the demise of Professor William Nicholas Guy Hitchon: Being a scientist myself, I was searching the web for his biography, as I wanted to list him as a cooperating colleague for an upcoming research project. (A few months ago, he already gave valuable advice.) Professor Hitchon will be remembered by the scientific community for his lasting contributions. Ralf Peter Brinkmann, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany.

Truly saddened to hear of Nick Hitchon's passing. We, like many others around the world, only knew of him through the Up documentary series but he was the one we most identified with being in academia ourselves, and immigrants in the midwest too. We saw his depth, his kindness of heart, his thoughtfulness. Our sincere condolences to his family, colleagues, and friends... and to others like us who never met him but feel the loss too. We are so grateful to Nick and to every participant in the series for allowing us to learn about the world through their lives. - M.O. & D.A.

Dear Cryss and Adam, Deep condolences and sympathy to you and all of Nick's loved ones. His brilliance, wit, and heart shone through every interview. I feel fortunate to have corresponded with Nick via email some years ago, so I was able to thank him for his participation in the "Up" series at that time. I will never forget him. The way that he spoke about his love for you, Cryss, and you, Adam, was so beautiful. Dr. Sabrina Rood, Edmonds, Washington

Nick was the person in the 7-up series that my husband and I most identified with. We are about four years older than Nick, both born in the UK. My husband, a chemist, was unable to continue with his research interests in the UK due to lack of funding and interest in academia, so we too, became part of the "Brain Drain". So glad that Nick had the opportunity for a career at UW-Madison but sorry that he did not live to see nuclear fusion become a commercial reality.

Always one of the 'good guys'... I feel tat I have met him on so many occasions, thanks to the 'Seven Up!' --- but I have not been that lucky. Someone to look up to... an individual to admire... You will be missed by so many... Thanks, Nick! Stephen of Tunbridge Wells

I was sorry to learn this morning of the death of Nick Hitchon, though I was not surprised. In the last program of the series to which he contributed it was reported that he was seriously ill with cancer. I watched the programs from the second one onwards and always thought him one of the more memorable, engaging and interesting participants. His progress from being the son of a Yorkshire tenant farmer to being a highly distinguished scientist testifies to the social mobility made available years ago by grammar schools and free university education. I extend my sympathy to his family at this sad time. J. Marrin Stafford (now aged almost 75 and another who benefited from the sound educational institutions available in the past), Solihull UK

I'm so deeply sorry to hear the news today of Mr Hitchon's passing. I didn't know him personally, I'm just a fan of the Seven Up series. Even though my father is British, I grew up in Poland and was introduced to Seven Up in the 90s by my parents who religiously waited for each installment and we have had a watching party every 7 years since. I eventually moved to Barcelona, Spain and this summer my mother visited and stayed for 3 weeks, during which we rewatched all the installments. I know that Mr Hitchon and many others on the series have commented in the past that participating wasn't easy and that they weren't sure of the value of the series when it's all said and done. Well, I just wanted to say - it has immense value to us fans, the memories made with our families while watching, the lifelong experience of sharing a tiny snippet of the participants' lives and the beauty of the human experience - in their successes, loves, big moments and now unfortunately, tragedies. Mr Hitchon was our favourite, he just radiated intelligence, wit, kindness, class and warmth and we were all truly heartbroken to hear of his illness in 63 up, and even more so today. My deepest condolences and thoughts are with his wife, son and family and friends. And to Mr Hitchon - thank you for showing us, your fans, the power of dreaming big, having accomplished what you have, which has always been so inspiring to me. All my love from the UK, Poland and Barcelona, Spain - I have watched you in all these places and will carry your memory wherever I go.

My name is Craig Beidler, and I was one of Nick's first PhD students, along with Ken Buckle and William D'haeseleer. Strictly speaking, we were students of Leon Shohet, but we were all interested in theoretical topics, so Leon thought it would be best for us to be supervised by a theoretician. I've always been extremely thankful for this decision, as Nick was both very knowledgeable and always interested and engaged. Perhaps too engaged, on occasion, as I remember needing to get up very early on mornings after "production runs" to be able to plot all our new results, before he came to my office to see what the night had brought. We managed to publish five journal articles during my PhD studies in Madison, and two further papers after I had taken a post-doc position at the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, in the suburbs of Munich. After that, Nick broadened his research interests considerably, in support of the NSF center and to help avoid having "too many fusion professors" in the ECE department. My work continued in the field of fusion plasmas, concentrating on the design of a large experiment that was ultimately built in Greifswald (in the former East Germany) after German reunification. Being in different fields, our paths crossed seldom and our contact was reduced to the occasional exchange of e-mails. My parents had also met Nick during my time in Madison, and near the end of 2020 (I think), they sent me an article from a fine-arts publication they subscribe to that dealt with the "Up" series of documentary films. In that article, it was mentioned that Nick was suffering from throat cancer, and I contacted him to pass along best wishes from myself and from my parents. In October of last year, he contacted me concerning machine-learning algorithms used in fusion physics since one of his former students had received a large grant in this area. He did mention that he hadn't been feeling well but the tone of his message was otherwise positive. It was therefore with great sadness last week, after returning from summer vacation, that I read a message from David Anderson telling me that Nick had passed away. My condolences and best wishes to you, Craig Dr Craig D. Beidler Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics

I am so sorry to see this. I am so grateful for his participation in the 7up series. Even at 7 years old, one could clearly see the intelligence and warmth in him. I appreciate that having been part of this series was a sacrifice of privacy on his part, that at times it brought unwanted judgement from viewers into his personal life, that was in general a hard thing to be part of. But he really got the importance of it all. In "63 Up" he talked about the great value in this series of telling these life stories across many decades of time and I hope he knew how important he was to all of us and how grateful we were to him for sharing his life. Much love from a decade, after decade, 7up viewer. ❤️

RIP Nick, I treasure the experience of attending your classes, advised by you, and observed first hand when you were filmed for 42+ in the class. You were a good teacher and a good mentor

My deepest sympathy to Cryss and Adam. I had the pleasure of knowing Nick for over 30 years. We were part of a circle of friends that would get together for dinner parties two or three times a year. Nick was never the loudest or animated of the group, but quietly listened to conversation and thoughtfully, and usually with his very dry sense of humor and wit, gave his opinion on any given range of topics. Nick was always up on the latest national and international politics, soccer scores, scientific fields of interest, etc...; he could talk about literally anything. He was a great joke teller, and would deliver a punchline only in a way Nick could; dry and without laughing himself. Just waiting for you to appreciate it. I met him for coffee at The Sow's Ear in Verona where he would hang out most days. Literally everyone who came into the shop knew Nick and would greet him. Kids would flock to him like a magnet! It was great to see this community lending their support to him during his illness. Annette and I will miss his presence at the next dinner, but we'll reminisce about the good times we had with him and the pleasure we got from knowing him. -Dan Roehre

Very sad to learn of the death of Nick Hitchon- read a comment to the effect on YouTube. One of the brightest of the subjects of the '...Up' documentary series. I'm sure all who knew him will miss him greatly. Nick always came across as a down-to-earth, caring person. His intellectual abilities didn't go to his head! 🙂

I had the pleasure of taking three classes with Professor Hitchon throughout my undergrad years. He was a great Professor but an even better man. I had a family health crisis going on during my senior year of college that hit me pretty hard and Professor Hitchon noticed one day after a bad test and asked if I was doing okay. I told him about the situation that my family was going through, and every class we had through the next 2 semesters he would have me stay after to talk. He made sure I got all the help I needed in his class and he would also help out with other tests I was taking at the time. He also genuinely cared about how my family and I were doing and shared many life stories about similar situations in his life. I will forever remember him for going out of his way to help me through some tough times in my life. My condolences are with his family and may he Rest in Peace.

RIP Nick,the farm gates that you always left open are now firmly closed,I am sure you and Graeme will both meet up and still argue and debate in a celestial place.With love and hugs to Chryss and Adam. The Hall family UK

I have watched the whole series of 7Up and was very sad to hear of Nick's passing. He shared his life experience generously with the millions of people who followed 7Up story. Sending my condolences to Nick's family and friends at this sad time🌹🌹🌹 Sandra Nadort

William Nicholas "Nick" Hitchon, a respected researcher and dedicated educator in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, passed away July 23, 2023. He was 65 years old. Hitchon joined the faculty of UW-Madison in 1982, focusing on a diverse portfolio of "kinetic" theoretical models and computational modeling tools for low-temperature plasmas used in semiconductor fabrication and lighting, the electrical behavior of semiconductor devices, and microscopic phenomena in magnetic computer storage devices and gas dynamics. Over his career, he published more than 100 journal articles and three books. Hitchon served on the Graduate School research committee, as admissions chair of the Materials Science Program, and chair of the Physical Science Section of the Campus Fellowship Committee, among other activities. Between 1999 and 2002, he served as the ECE department chair. During his career, he earned a reputation for outstanding teaching and mentorship, advising more than 20 graduate students, many of whom have taken prominent roles in academia and industry. He taught 25 different ECE courses, including many he developed, at both the graduate and undergraduate level, covering topics including electromagnetic field theory, semiconductor electronics, plasmas and signal processing. He was an ardent advocate for the welfare and success of all students, and his dedication in the classroom led engineering undergraduates to name him an outstanding instructor five times. One of those who benefitted from his mentorship is Giri Venkataramanan, Keith and Jane Morgan Nosbusch Professor in electrical and computer engineering and director of the Wisconsin Electric Machines and Power Electronics Consortium. Venkataramanan first met Hitchon as a graduate student at UW-Madison before joining him as a colleague and eventually co-authoring a book together. What he remembers most is Hitchon's unbridled enthusiasm. "We'd talk about how best to solve problems, and how to teach certain topics," he says. "Those sessions were so joyous, and never have I had such fruitful interactions with any colleague besides Nick. I'll dearly miss a friend and colleague." Hitchon grew up as part of a farming family in Littondale, England. He is widely recognized outside of academia for his participation in the Up documentary series, which followed the lives of 14 7-year-olds in Great Britain, revisiting them every seven years over the course of many decades. He last appeared in 63 Up, released in 2020. Hitchon received his bachelor's (1978), master's (1979) and PhD in engineering science (1981) from Oxford University.

I don't think I have really come to terms yet with the fact that my older brother is no longer around, and therefore it is difficult for me to put my feelings into words. I have read the wonderful messages of support and condolence here and they are more eloquent than I can hope to be. I will just add one thought. One of the qualities Nick brought to his life was determination. You can be very clever and still achieve very little, but that was not how Nick did things. He was determined to achieve his goals and that was what made the difference in his life, You can see this very clearly in his work as a scientist and as a teacher. A less obvious example may be his success as a sportsman in his younger days. Yet this determination was not like the toxic egotism we see all too often, because in Nick's case it was driven by a wish to make the world better , and this trait did not at all prevent Nick being decent, kind and caring. My deepest condolences to Cryss and Adam, and let them be assured that Nick would want them to look forward in a positive, and maybe also a determined way. With all my love, Andrew.

Nick was a good friend. We met during a martial arts class 20 years ago. We would often bump into each other at the Sows Ear in Verona, where he shared his diagnosis. He had indomitable spirt and will be much missed. My heart goes out to his family.

nick did come to fgsc temporarily to teach at my school and my golly would he make the whole class laugh with his bright and be able to teach us sadly no more alas goodbye mr hitchon from jake benito a former student at fountain gate

My condolences and best wishes to Andrew and Chris, Nick's brothers in the UK and his family and friends in the US.

Nick was my academic advisor from 1991 to 1995. I have a lot of fond memories of our time together. I will miss him.

I had the pleasure of having Nick as a professor in the mid 1990's at Wisconsin. A year later, while I was taking a wonderful sociology class, we covered the 7 up series and my professor for that class, said that Nick was a professor at Wisconsin and she got him to speak to our class. After class, I reintroduced myself to Nick and of course in his usual quiet and shy way, didn't make a big deal of it at all. After that I would make time to visit his office during his office hours just to chat. Sadly after I graduated, I didn't keep in contact. I wish I had. He was such a great professor and someone I was grateful who was part of my life while I was student at Wisconsin.

Nick: As I knew and will remember him. Nick walked into my life at age 7, in the early 70s. I first saw the documentary "7 Up" when I was training to teach in Manchester. The film made an impression, not just because it was innovative, amusing, and fun, but because it was also serious. For me it combined education and psychology, and showed how incredibly entertaining children can be. The shots in "7 Up" of the little boy, in big Wellington boots—shooing cows into a barn with no fear, striding past the enormous stone crag that dominated his Yorkshire Dales background—remain precious and true documentary work. The always present, innate intelligence of a little boy who, when asked what he wanted to be when he grew up, replied in priceless, prescient words, "I want to find out all about the moon and all that." And then the little boy who refused to answer the personal question, "Have you got a girlfriend?" saying, "I don't answer questions like that!" (An answer that remained the same throughout the series.) Nick was always a bit younger than all the other "7 Uppers"— a fact he constantly reminded me about, even as we filmed the last episode!. At 7, his already independent and indomitable spirit was showing. Nick was chosen to be in the film "7 Up" by researchers, Gordon McDougall and Michal Apted. The brief for "7 Up" was to find "children from startling different backgrounds". The premise of the film was to look at social class in action in England and, at once, the Jesuit maxim: "Give me the child until he is 7, and I will give you the man." Tim Hewat, the Australian editor of the program, wanted to find out what the children (at 7) were like in order to see if they would remain the same when they were older and working in England as adults. In other words, he wanted a glimpse into the future. Nick represented rural England. In 1984, I met Nick in the US while I was a researcher working for Michael Apted and GranadaTV while we were filming "28 Up". We landed in Madison, Wisconsin on a balmy June evening, and filmed on a jetty overlooking Lake Mendota. Good looking, charming and funny, I liked Nick immediately. His intelligence—as well as his drive to use his scientific brain to help the world by working on the development of nuclear fusion—was obvious. Nick was clever and hard working. His father was a tenant farmer in one of the most unforgiving rural places in England—the Yorkshire Dales. I The Yorkshire Dales are a wild and beautiful place. Certainly, no place for the weak hearted. However, it was an effective training ground for Nick, who had a huge heart, loved life and other people, and exuded boundless energy. He was an athlete as well, something that became obvious when he played rugby for Yorkshire. Further, he got into Oxford University and studied Physics, of course, to learn all about the moon and all of that! The UK in the 1980's was an unforgiving decade for many. During this era, an focused effort commenced to establish private business in every corner of society. Thus, when Nick graduated and wanted to study nuclear fusion further, he became part of the so- called "Brain Drain" joining many other scientists who left England. He traveled to Madison to the University of Wisconsin where he remained for the whole of his academic life. In many ways Nick's interest in nuclear fusion was way ahead of its time. He told me last week, when we were chatting about his interview, that he became interested in nuclear fusion when he was 13! He had been reading about energy and the waste products of our nuclear industry, and found out that boundless amounts of clean energy are the result of fusing atoms instead of dividing them—IF it could be done commercially. And that was the problem . Nick realised that his research was stalling and started teaching full time at the university with great gusto. He was a tremendous teacher and was awarded several teaching awards—warm and funny with a genuine love of his students . He remained teaching even when he had been diagnosed with throat cancer in 2018. Nick lived 5 years longer than his doctors predicted - not surprising for a boy brought up on a farm in the Yorkshire Dales. Nick is one of the most honest interviewees I have ever met, He never refused a question, however tricky. Some of Michael's questions were quite difficult and personal . NIck's honesty and frankness were obvious. He really couldn't tell a lie. Nick said in 49Up that he wanted to be remembered for his science, not for being in the "7 Up" documentaries. but he thought that wouldn't happen! Nick will be remembered all over the world for many years to come as the clever little boy in big boots, who wanted to find "out all about the moon." His legacy is assured, Claire Lewis July 24 2023 Series Producer "7 Up" 1984- present

Remembering so many wonderful moments spent with Nick over the past couple years. I only wish I had known him longer, as he brought so much joy and happiness to my family. One of my favorite memories of Nick is the day we "officially" met. I'd seen Nick at our local coffee shop, The Sows Ear, for years but never said more than a friendly hello. That all changed the day my then 3 yo son ran up to Nick and said "Hello! I'm Jackson Thomas Doyle!" And Nick eagerly responded back "Hi! I'm William Nicholas Guy Hitchon!" From there Nick became not only a close friend but family to us. I spent many afternoons sitting across from Nick at Sows Ear hearing about his childhood, career and friends and family. And my son Jack spent many afternoons eating cookies and learning how to write the alphabet with Nick. I feel so privileged so have crossed paths with Nick. He was so kind, honest and curious - in the most genuine way. In a way that inspired others to do the same. Sending love to all of Nicks family and friends.

Always just Nick to Karen and I. His restrained pithy observations was part of coffee (or tea) at the coffee shops around Madison when we would visit. Our world is a little smaller and lonelier place now.

I met Nick in the 1980s when we were part of the "foreigners in Madison" group, sharing our stories of the old country and the new. We stayed connected through the decades and enjoyed many many wonderful dinners at the Heide family home with our group of American/Dutch/Norwegian/British/Australian/German friends. Nick was such a funny, warm, crazy smart person and we all loved him so much. His love for and devotion to Cryss were the guiding light in his life. Although he rarely agreed to speak about his 7Up experience, it was an amazing way to understand him better and admire him more. He leaves an amazing legacy in science, film, family and friendship. Sleep softly my friend. Kim Schoen Handy

So many people have sent thousands of words about Nick as a person and as a professional. I can stand in defense of each and all of them. My deep love and respect for him was completely out of my control--immediately upon meeting him both made themselves known. Ours was literally "love at first sight". (Something I truly did not believe existed. But it does!) Cryss (Nick's Wife)

It was long past time to talk with you on the phone when we were in Wisconsin a few weeks ago. I thought I should add to that conversation. One of the things that I try to do is to tell people when I say nice things about them to others. I do say nice things about you to others, so since we couldn't get together a few weeks ago, you get a letter. I'll start with an insight that I had not that many years ago. I have a recently retired a colleague at GE Alok Srivastava, a solid-state chemist in luminescent materials. He has over 200 patents, cranks out papers, is the Editor in Chief of the journal Optical Materials, etc. When he recounted his graduate work at some point, he said that his advisor wasn't in the field that he was giving to Alok for his thesis. Rather, the advisor told him, 'Alok, we are going to learn this field together'. After reflecting a bit, I realized that this phrase applies to you and me. At least from my standpoint (you can correct me) you had this 'convected scheme' method, but it was still very much unexplored territory, and every opportunity to apply it to something new was a learning experience as much for you as for your students. Alok and I have had numerous philosophical discussions about such things, and we violently agree that the 'learning together' approach makes for a great PhD experience, maybe the best. It is way better than doing a PhD with advisor who has built up some massive edifice of a program. In this latter case it's hard to tell whether the productive student is really good or is just a cog in a well-oiled machine. As I think about our own attempts to hire people at GE, and to determine if they will fit and be productive, I can tell you that it's much easier to see the goodness of a student who 'learned together' with the advisor, compared with the cog. So that's the first and maybe most important part of this note. Having benefitted from Alok's insight, I now recognize how important it is to 'learn together', and how fortunate I was to be able to 'learn together' with you. In thinking about my time with Jim, I also recalled my first meeting with you. It was sometime around one year into my time at Wisconsin. Jim had pointed me to the Boltzmann equations and then left me alone with my Warf fellowship time to do something impressive. I didn't do anything impressive, and Jim was not comfortable advising a theoretical or computational thesis, at least if the student was going to need some serious advising. But rather than send me off to another physics group, he sent me to your office. At least to my recollection our first meeting was in your office to the left as you entered the ECE building. I think it was even at that first meeting that you felt the need to use the phrase 'bee in his bonnet', and then felt the need to explain it to me. (I don't recall any of the rest of the conversation...). Soon (but I don't know how soon) we got into this rhythm where you'd call me in my physics office to talk things over, and I guess I'd call you in your ECE office for the same reason. Your office in ECE was large, had a high ceiling, and all surfaces were hard. So that when I'd call you, and you'd pick up the phone, the ringing of the phone would still be echoing around your office, and I could hear it through the phone. I still think that's kind of funny. Of course, there would be many times when you'd call my physics office and I was not there. Jim, being the frugal person he was, had only one phone line to be shared among all his labs. You could not make a long-distance call on that line; Jim didn't want to pay for shenanigans. The various labs were some distance from each other. When the phone rang people knew it would likely be you, so they'd let it ring a few times so that I could answer it. But after a couple of rings one of them, probably Betsy den Hartog or maybe Eric Benck, would answer the phone, hear your voice, and walk down to my office to leave me a note. To save time eventually I had a small yellow sticky note, no more than 1x1.5 inches, that said 'Nick called'. Its normal home was stuck to the top of my monitor. When you called then the note was moved down to the desk near my keyboard. When I got that message, I moved the sticky note back to the top of my monitor, ready for the next iteration. Very efficient. I still think that's kind of funny, too. In those pre-cell-phone days you still managed to call at all hours and from all locations. You seemed to eat out at least two, and maybe all three meals each day. I recall a couple of instances where you probably were at a restaurant and probably NOT supposed to be talking with me. But I guess you managed to make a surreptitious call from a pay phone, and the conversation went on until it was brought to a sudden close with your words 'Oops, gotta go...' Those all-hours, all-places conversations were, in retrospect, part of the 'learning together'. You were thinking all the time and in all places; the new insights just couldn't wait. I also benefitted enormously from your 'eating out'. I was treated to a lot of meals with you, and to my recollection I never paid a dime. Maybe you were too generous; maybe I was just rude. Much later, in the early days of cell phones, I had a laugh when I reached you while you were standing in line at the Red Oak Grill in the old Union South. I recall you said something like, 'I think I've spent half my life at the Red Oak Grill'. I'd say you are the one who got me started down the road of an Anglophile. My ancestors are all German and I grew up in a heavily German town, so I didn't know much, or care much, about places like the UK. But by osmosis with you I got very interested and later took a number of very enjoyable trips there. It helped that I went to Leicester on business a number of times in the 1990s. Lisa joined me for two weeks before one of those early business trips and we visited famous Nick haunts like Hawkswick and Kilnsey Crag. Since then, I took my folks there (their last overseas trip), I took Lisa and Ange there for two weeks in a motorhome around the coast of Scotland, and then later we spent a week in London. (Ange was much more enthusiastic about that trip after her cousin got her hooked on Sherlock a few weeks before we departed.) My own most recent business trip was to Stafford, already seven years ago, that included a weekend in Lincoln. I still very much hope to get back to see the southwest (Bath, Wells) as well as a stripe across the north from Iona to Lindisfarne. One Nick joke sticks in my head. 'What's the difference between Yorkshire and Lancashire? Well, Yorkshire is all hills and moors. You expected me to get that? I did appreciate that you knew the proper term for the case where you interchange the initial consonant of two words, which I would not remember except for the use of Google, which says it's a spoonerism. I still need to get my hands on some of the Wicked Wit books. Shared travel is always a great team-building experience, especially if the travel is harrowing and it's the team-against-the-world. So our trip to the 1989 GEC, complete with earthquake, was quite memorable. You, Dan Koch, and I were on the same flight, but your frequent-flier-friend Deepak had given you a first-class upgrade, so Dan & I were together in steerage and didn't see you during the flight. I recall it was a spectacularly clear, beautiful, moonlit night over San Francisco, the plane nearly circled the Bay Area on the approach, and Dan gave me a great commentary of the scene, having previously lived there. When we finally caught up with you, it was obvious that you had taken good advantage of the free drinks in first class, and were talking up a storm. Quite entertaining. Since Dan had lived there, he drove us from the airport to Palo Alto, and you were chattering away, questioning Dan's directions and giving oh-so-helpful guidance to him. Very entertaining. Dan was about ready to smack you. You stayed at the conference hotel while Jim the Frugal had put Dan and me into some little motel down the street. Then the earthquake hit, first day around 4 pm, during the GEC Reference Cell workshop. We weren't together during the session, but then found each other in the parking lot, where everyone was milling about after the quake. Rob Porteous had gotten under your skin for some reason during the day. You threatened to go back into the darkened building, find his poster (which was already set up for the evening session), rip it to shreds, and blame the earthquake. Even more entertaining. That evening I appreciated the fact that Dan & I could walk back to our one-story wooden-framed motel that evening, rather than deal with the wall cracks in the tower at the Hyatt. You had a return flight the next day. I guess it was later in the week, when we returned, that we saw the minor damage at the airport, with some floors buckled, etc. It took some days before I wasn't eyeing every large interior space as an earthquake risk and every doorway as potential shelter area. We are traveling, and I have had this letter in this state for a couple of weeks, so it must be time to put a bow on it and send it. I reserve the right to add to it. You and the family are in my prayers. Tim

Dear Cryss, I just heard from Jan that we have lost the wonderful, incomparable Nick. Jan's note set off a flood of happy memories, of conversations over dinner, spirited jibes about the strength of our respective cricket and rugby teams, and laughter and reflections about life on either side of the pond. Your attendances at the Heide residence for those dinners over many years were a highlight for me. We have lost a dear friend. I am not sure what to say other than I am so, so sorry. I can't imagine how you are feeling right now. While I have not lost the love of my life, when my father (and best mate) died a few years ago, a friend sent me a passage* that I'll admit helped .. if only a little. I am thinking of you. Simon Bell (from Australia) (*passage can be found on the Ryan Funeral Home website, under the picture tab of Nick's obituary)

This breaks my heart. I have been talking with Nick regularly. I know he was not well, and the outcome was coming, but he had been so chipper in our conversations, that I had not really thought about it recently. Nick had a huge influence on my life. I would not be able to do the research that I do, without his guidance. Throughout my career, Nick would call and challenge me to go further. Nick was always encouraging me as well as posing challenges. Below, find things Nick said to me that impacted me as a scantest and how I live my life: 1.) Upon graduation, Nick told me that, as a professor, your biggest impact on science is the next generation of students whom you train. This is something that I live by, and it is why I take mentoring so seriously. 2.) On the same day I achieved tenure, Nick called me and said, "so what are you going to do for the rest of your life?". The statement was harsh, but I was proud of getting to that point. His point was to ask me "what big thing do you want to take on, now that no one is looking over your shoulder?". 3.) Nick also told me, "mentoring does not stop once students leave the nest". Nick always wanted to help! He would call me up just to go through thought experiments. Just to game theory outcomes. Nick was a scientist, always curious till the VERY end! He and I were just talking about a paper three weeks ago. He was asking questions and bugging me to explain and push the envelope. Nick also spent a ton of time talking with my students. He always wanted to help and was always curious. He helped my student, Bill Sands, with his goal of becoming faculty. Nick called Bill to talk with him about papers, science, and life. This is hard. I WILL truly miss him! Andrew Christlieb

Cryss, Adam, We have never met but do share our love for Nick. I trust that you will accept my message below to share about Nick. When I hear the name Nick Hitchon, the phrase that immediately comes to mind is "Unbridled Enthusiasm". I was a fresh graduate student in the 1980s, when I met Nick at a party at my advisor's house. He came up to me and spoke with his 'cool' British accent, wanting to compare notes about how the Indian team was doing in test cricket that season. I had no idea who he was and not much about cricket either. We managed to continue our discussion and talked about a science fiction novel that he was reading at that time. I came across him every now and then, and he would always check in to ask how I was doing. When I returned to campus as an assistant professor several years later, he was the one person that I could go and get a straight answer to any question, without any sugar-coated politically correct mumbo jumbo. He saw me through tenure and promotion, the good, bad, and the ugly days. I could find him any morning I needed to, having breakfast at the old Red Oak Grill, with coffee in a reusable red Wisconsin Union mug. More recently he took on teaching ECE 342 as an overload during a semester at a last-minute, and he decided to look into my lecture notes. As was his characteristic fashion, he'd just walk into my office and start talking. We'd talk about how best to solve problems, and how to teach certain topics such as feedback and impedance calculations of amplifiers. Those sessions were so joyous, and never have I had such fruitful interactions with any colleague besides Nick. He embraced some of the analytical tools for circuit analysis from my wheelhouse that I had learned from the late Prof. Middlebrook at Caltech. Nick wanted to write a book on the stuff, and soon we landed a contract from a well-known global publisher. After we completed the manuscript, the publisher wanted certain changes - this was about the time Nick was diagnosed with cancer. There was no way we could meet their demands. We decided to publish the text under our own 'Geordie Boy' label, in honor of Prof. Middlebrook who was a Geordie, hailing from Newcastle in northeastern England. Nick used the text, while teaching 342, until he retired. He made sure that I had a correct and complete solution set for problems in the book and continued to share ideas for the next edition. I am teaching 342 now and enjoying the fruits of his enthusiastic initiative. I don't think I'll revise the text, but I am working on a supplementary workbook to go with it. His dedication to teaching and his openness to explore the question of 'how to teach' is rare in academia these days, and I'll dearly miss a friend and colleague. Peace, Giri Venkataramanan

I was Nick's first PhD student, and I have very fond memories of working with him. He was very enthusiastic and supportive of my research efforts and gave me the freedom to explore new ideas and openly discuss them with me. I remember that sometimes he'd have an idea on a Friday or Saturday night, and would call me for a discussion. After I graduated, he continued to reach out to me, and check on how I was doing and provide useful advice. Even when I changed research areas from engineering to autism research (because of my daughter with autism), he continued to reach out and check on me. He was a great mentor both at UW and throughout my career, and I will miss our discussions. Best wishes, Jim Adams

Dear Cryss, Jane and I were very sorry to hear about Nick's death and wanted to send you our condolences and best wishes. Latterly, we only knew Nick through the programmes, but I have fond memories of him as a small boy. I am sure that the last few years have been very difficult for you both, but you will have happy memories of your time together to sustain you. Best wishes, Andrew and Jane Brackfield

Hi Cryss, I am so sorry to hear the passing of Nick. On the few occasions I met him, I found him to be a lovely, lovely guy. Since "63 Up" filmed nearly 5 years ago, I've always wondered how Nick was getting on. When you look at Nicks career, you will see the legacy of his work as well as his remarkable life in the Up Series. My wife, Debbie, and I send you our deepest condolences. Your love and devotion to Nick, during his illness, was a testament of your love for such a great man. I wish you and all your family the best wishes. Thinking of you all at this sad time. Yours Truly, Tony Walker (participant in the Up Series)

Cryss. I am so sorry for your loss. He loved you more than anything. Thank you for being his everything. Take care of yourself. Lori Burrow

Although we have never met, I want to tell you just how special Nick was to me. I first met him at a conference in Germany and felt that we had to get him to come to Wisconsin. Fortunately, I was able to get Nick hired here. I am sure you know that he was a unique and fascinating person. He was an excellent teacher and great friend. I wish you peace. Leon Shohet

We are truly devastated to learn about Nick's passing. Please accept our heartfelt sympathy and condolences during this incredibly difficult and painful time. We can only imagine how heavy your heart must feel right now. May you find strength and solace in the support of those around you and may Nick's memory live on forever in your heart. Nick was such a warm and caring person, and we will cherish the memories we shared together. If there's anything that we can do to help, please don't hesitate to reach out. Once again, we are so sorry for your loss, Cryss. Please take care of yourself. Our thoughts are with you. Natascha and Ken Wathne

My dad was not only the smartest person I ever knew, he was the best person I ever knew. He was the best father imaginable. He was a bonus to everyone who ever knew him. (July 25,2023) Love, Adam

Dear Cryss, Sandra and I would like to express our deepest hart felt condolences. We can't really imagine how you are feeling. He was a truly beautiful human. He was such a big part of who I am as a scientist, and he will be deeply missed! Please let us know if there is anything we can do. Sincerely, Andrew and Sandra Christlieb

Cryss, Very sorry to hear the sad news. I regret not staying in better touch with Nick since his diagnosis. I recall him telling me out of the blue about a horrific prognosis, but then months later he was still teaching classes and I think we even met up with you both at some point (Lisa and I are trying to recall the sequence). Given that apparent normalcy it was too easy to continue our habit of letting many months pass and then trade a brief flurry of emails or calls. I hope Nick was able to read a little memoir that I wrote to him since I talked with him in February. So even though it has been a while in coming, it's still a shock, and I'm saddened by his loss. Tim Sommerer

Nick and Cryss were among our very best friends, and we feel his loss very deeply. We have so many memories -- today we talked about watching "What the Bleep" together in the early 2000's -- Nick, in his usual very passionate way, dissected the pseudo-science of the film...I can see him gesticulating and the very precise language that he always used when he was critiquing something! Then, we also remembered his very softer, curious side, where we could discuss astrological charts and shamans at great length. Again, his body language is such a vivid part of our experience of Nick. He was a person with many interests and emotions...and always a Dalesman...

Hi Cryss, may I offer my heartfelt condolences to you and your family at this sad time. I have to say I only really knew Nick through and during the programme's but I always got the feeling that he was someone with a big heart and a sensitive person. Please Cryss,stay strong and get through this. I am sure everyone in the programme is thinking of you and your family as I and my family are. With condolences, hope and blessings for the future, Symon and family

Professon Hitchon was an excellent instructor and researcher. As an Engineering student of his early on, I was left with an enduring impression of a man who loved his work and cared for others. He was a great example for the profession.

I knew Nick from the Sow's Ear where he was truly a fixture and legend. We shared many cups of coffee while sharing the local newspaper. We also attempted to solve many of the world's problems during our many conversations. He met all my children over the years and they found him as fascinating as I did. He will be missed.