Dr Thomas Binoth: Messages of condolences and memories

Thank you so much for all your messages! Now that I am finally able to read this page,
I am overwhelmed by all your expressions of support and understanding.

And beyond this page, I am really grateful to everybody who helped me to carry on, each in his/her own way, in physics and in life. It really made a difference.

Thanks again,
Gudrun

Liebe Gudrun, als ich von Thomas erfahren habe brach meine angebrochene Welt vollends zusammen. Ich kann nicht verstehen, wer uns und der Welt so etwas antut und uns die besten Menschen einfach wegnimmt. Es ergibt im Moment noch keinen Sinn, aber ich werde weiter nach einem Sinn suchen, denn anderenfalls kann ich nicht weiter machen. Ich fühle aus tiefstem Herzen mit dir und weiss daher, dass ich dir jetzt nicht helfen kann. Aber ich bin für dich da, falls du das mächtest. Eines habe ich gelernt in dieser beschissenen Zeit: häre nur auf dich selber. Lass dir bitte von niemandem sagen, was du tun darfst und sollst und was nicht. Niemand darf irgendwas von dir erwarten. Wenn du nicht willst, dann musst mit niemandem reden, musst keine Hilfe annehmen. Treffe Entscheidungen mit deinem Herzen, denn dort ist auch Thomas. Alles, was du dann tust, ist richtig. Mein tiefstes Mitgefühl ist bei dir, wenn du magst. Judith

We are so sad and shocked about this terrible and tragic loss! Thomas was a great person - as a scientist and physicist and in private. He was always looking for deep understanding, he was very honest with himself and with others, he had a critical mind and high expectations and at the same time he was always encouraging, supportive and caring. He was a role model as a true scientist, and he combined this with his warm, friendly personality. It was an honor to have known him. Our deepest condolences to Gudrun and Thomas' family. Gudrun, we wish you all the best in this difficult time! Dominik + Hyejung

Dear Gudrun, I was full of sadness when I have learned this tragic loss. All my condolences and thoughts to you and Thomas family. May he rest in peace.

Dear Thomas, I will remember you, sincere friend and first-class colleague. My deepest condolence to Gudrun and Thomas' family.

This is a great loss for phenomenology and physics at LHC . I will always remember nice discussions with Thomas at Les Houches Sincere condolences to Thomas family Louis

My heartfelt condolence to Gudrun. Always remeber the wonderful days we spent together at Cheisier.It's very rare to come across a person like Thomas.. With all my love to Gudrun..

Thomas's untimely death. We first got to know Thomas when he stayed with us at our Guest House before his appointment to The University Of Edinburgh .He was one of lifes true gentlemen a great guy with a sense of humour to match, we still can't believe he's gone,it's just so tragic! My last memory of Thomas was only a few weeks ago when I bumped into him at Sainsbury's Supermarket. He was rummaging around the beer section looking for some beers to entertain some friends when there was an almighty crash, Thomas appeared quite sheepishly shrugging his s shoulders as if to say 'I don't know what happened there'typical of his demeanour.We will sadly miss his frequent visits to us and our hearts go out to everyone who was fortunate enough to know him he will be greatly missed by all Duncan & Elaine Stewart Glendale House Edinburgh

Wir sind fassungslos ueber Thomas' Tod. Wir werden ihn sehr vermissen, als Physiker, Kollegen und Freund. Thomas war ein aussergewoehnlicher Mensch. Wir sind priveligiert, ihn gekannt zu haben. Gudi und Georg

I still cannot believe that Thomas has gone. We will all miss him, miss the great person and physicist. Gudrun, my thoughts are with you, my deepest condolences to you and to his family.

hi Thomas, i feel extremely sad that you won't be around next time i visit. just want you to know that you were such a fun guy to talk to and a good person to learn about physics from. so it goes..... and you will be remembered. david

While Tom was working on his Ph.D. in Freiburg, I had the invaluable pleasure to share office with him. His upbeat character and his great sense of humor made my day whenever he was around. I am very sad. Gudrun, I wish you a full recovery and hope that soon the smile may return to your face!

Thomas, it is such a shock to have lost you. I still hoped to visit you in Edinburgh and to know you for many years to come. I was always glad to see you at workshops and am grateful for our conversations. You had a fantastic gift for kind expression of firm convictions. Gudrun, I cannot begin to imagine how you are. My condolences in your sorrow and heartfelt wishes for your recovery. Please know that you are similarly dear. I hope to meet you again in due course.

I keep looking around thinking I'll see Thomas's face, or hear his voice. But no more. A terrible, terrible loss.

Like everyone who has ever met Thomas, I will miss his insight, not just for physics but for every aspect of life, his inspiring drive, and his wit. Requiescat in pace.

Dear Thomas It was a privilege to have known you, and I am still finding it hard to come to terms with the fact that you have gone. Today being Thomas' funeral - Gudrun my thoughts are with you and the family and hope that you will find the strength to live the life that Thomas would have loved. Doreen Hamilton

Depuis que j’ai appris la mort de Thomas, j’envie ceux qui croient en Dieu et qui trouvent un réconfort dans leur croyance… Je suis profondément malheureuse de n’avoir plus que des souvenirs. Mais ce sont de bons souvenirs. Les quelques années qu’il a passées parmi nous à Würzburg ont passé trop vite, c’était l’un des physiciens les plus sympas que j’aie rencontrés ! Thomas était gai et chaleureux ; il possédait l’intelligence du cœur, plus rare que l’intellectuelle. Sa curiosité n’était pas seulement scientifique, il s’intéressait aux autres et à une infinité de choses. Les discussions avec lui étaient passionnantes, souvent très amusantes et je n’arrive pas à imaginer que ses yeux pétillants et malicieux se soient fermés définitivement dans ses chères montagnes. Il avait une vision de la vie tellement positive qu’on peine d’autant plus à accepter qu’elle lui ait été ôtée. Sa famille et Gudrun connaissent la valeur de celui qu’ils viennent de perdre depuis beaucoup plus longtemps que moi et je leur souhaite beaucoup de force et de soutien dans les heures douloureuses présentes et à venir, sans Thomas.

The news that Thomas has gone is taking a long time to sink in. Thomas was a lovely kind man, who was always eager to help out whenever he could. He will be missed by all who knew him. Thinking of Gudrun at this time and hope you recover soon.

Dass Thomas nicht mehr unter uns ist, lässt unsere Volleyballgruppe traurig und fassungslos zurück. Wir verdanken ihm viel, nicht nur als Spielertrainer, sondern vor allem als guter Freund und menschlicher Gesprächspartner bei vielen Gelegenheiten. Unser Mitgefühl gilt dir, liebe Gudrun, und seiner Familie.

Ich war zutiefst bestürzt, von Thomas Tod aus der Freiburger Zeitung zu erfahren und habe noch gehofft, dass es einen anderen Thomas Binoth betreffen würde... Ich habe Thomas als Volleyballer, Physiker und Freund hier in Freiburg schätzen gelernt, vor allem aber als Mensch bei Wanderungen in den Bergen. Thomas, ich werde Dich vermissen. Gudrun, Dir und der mir sonst nicht persönlich bekannten Familie gilt mein Mitgefühl. Werner

It is so sad to hear the news about Thomas. Gudrun, please know that your friends in DMS are thinking of you and are here for you. Sorry that we did not get the time to know Thomas better.

I will always remember the conversation I had with Thomas when I first met him and he talked so much and with such warmth about his trips to the mountains and of Gudrun. He struck me as someone who lived life to the full and it was so obvious that both were so incredibly close to his heart... My deepest condolences and kindest wishes to Gudrun and to Thomas' family.

A bright, sunny light and a source of fun and laughter and happiness has been extinguished from our lives. What heavy blows life deals us.

I spent some time talking to Thomas at SUSSP65 in St Andrews. He was a lovely man and I was very distressed to hear this terrible news. My sincere condolences to all those who were close to him.

I have been so shocked an saddened by Thomas's death that I find myself lacking words to describe how I feel. Thomas was a wonderful human being and a brilliant physicist. He always had time to talk, whether about physics or just about life. He will be sorely missed. I send my deepest condolences to Gudrun and Thomas's family.

Thomas was, in every respect, a very valuable member of our research group at Wuerzburg and a good colleague and friend. I am deeply saddened to hear about this tragic accident. My thoughts in this sorrowful time are with Gudrun and his family.

From HEPTOOLS for Thomas Binoth We will not talk here about the loss for physics, obvious to all who work in this field. Let us just say that interacting with Thomas, at the professional and even more at the personal level was a great experience. His humanity combined with his deep humor made conversations with him very special. We will remember the good times we spent with him. The Heptools friends

We have been shocked by the news. We will miss Thomas very much. Our condolences for Gudrun and the family. Our thoughts and hearts are with you. Siannah and Jaume

dear Gudrun, our most sincere condolences to you and to Thomas' family. Ettore and Elisabetta Remiddi

This came as a terrible shock and is still hard to grasp. I will miss Thomas as a warm-hearted, honest and outright person. His physics will keep him in our minds. His character will keep him in our hearts. Liebe Gudrun, ich wuensche Dir viel Kraft. Meine Gedanken sind bei Dir.

This news is so shocking. My sincere condolences go out to Gudrun and the family. Thomas was a fantastic teacher and enthusiastic physicist. He taught me two courses last academic year: Hamiltonian Dynamics and The Standard Model. These were two of the best courses I have ever attended, and I do not say this lightly. Their structure and content were fascinating and Thomas presented the complex ideas clearly and added his own incomparable enthusiasm to every lecture. I will remember him at the blackboard always and I am sure these lectures will always be a gold standard for me. It is these lectures and Thomas's dedicated tutorials that gave me some of best motivation for a career in physics. I would not be the same physicist I am without having been taught by Thomas to marvel at both classical and quantum physics and all their beautiful structures in group theory. Future Edinburgh students will be poorer for not having Thomas to teach them.

When it came to physics Thomas had a profound impact on me and, I think, most of the people he met. His enthusiasm and natural curiosity made him a great physicist. As a supervisor he consistently exceeded my expectations. I was very lucky to work with him and I am very grateful for his time, patience and encouraging words. I will greatly miss listening to him tell a story over a pint or while sharing his whisky. We have lost, as Thomas would have said, one of the "good guys". My thoughts are with his family.

I have just returned from a skiing holiday in Switzerland and now this terrible news. I met Thomas last tome only a few month ago at the Radcor conference and remember vividly nice discussions to him. Thomas was a both a great person and researcher. His death is a big loss for all the community. ?ay he rest in peace! And let the earth will be as soft as the fuzz for him! (a rough translation from a Russian saying). My deepest condolences to Gudrun and his family.

It was such a shock to receive these horrible news and it is still difficult to wrap my mind around. I feel privileged to have met Thomas at a number of conferences and to have benefited from his enormous expertise. Thomas was a wonderful colleague and he will be very much missed. My heart goes out to Gudrun and to Thomas' family. Gudrun, I send you my very best wishes for a full recovery. My thoughts are with you.

The news about Thomas' death is so very hard to accept and is taking some time to sink in. Thomas was such a lovely man to work with and to talk to at work. He always encouraged me to practice my German on him, my last conversation with him was in German when we were talking about plans for the Christmas holidays. I'm going to miss you Thomas. Linda

Voll Freunden war mir die Welt, Als noch mein Leben licht war; Nun, da der Nebel fällt, Ist keiner mehr sichtbar. Wahrlich, keiner ist weise, Der nicht das Dunkel kennt, Das unentrinnbar und leise Von allen ihn trennt. [H. Hesse] We lost a collegue and friend Theory Group DESY Zeuthen

I have only met Thomas a couple of times when he was visiting us at Freiburg, when I was postdoc there. He was always smiling, holding exciting discussions about his two passions, physics and mountains. His loss is definitely a tragedy for the whole community. My sincere condolences to Gudrun and Thomas' family.

I feel privileged having met Thomas on several occasions. Being in his vicinity I always had the impression that he was a very fair man who treated all people with the same respect and that his presence brought with it a pleasant, informal and relaxed atmosphere. In other words one felt good in his company at all times. We have not only lost a very gifted physicist but also a very valuable person on so many levels. He will be missed.

I just read the arXiv today, later than usual, and I just couldn't believe. When I first met Thomas, he was sitting next to me on a bus trip to the conference dinner in RADCOR 2007. There were many seats available, but Thomas chose to sit next to a young, anonymous PhD student whom he didn't know at all; he chose to ask him with interest about his life, his research, his homeland. He chose to tell him "don't be nervous at all for your talk, everything will be fine, I wish you all the best in your career". He chose, as always, to share his kindness and his humanity. I just met him a few times more, but this was more than enough to notice how gentle, how nice he was. Enough to tell you, Gudrun, that at the moment I am crying with you.

I am very saddened and shocked to hear this tragic news. Thomas was my lecturer and Director of Studies during my time at Edinburgh. Although I did not know Thomas very well, he was always warm, friendly and patient with me. I will always remember him as a great teacher. My deepest condolences to the family and friends of Thomas.

With Thomas we truly lost the most honest and open person in the particle physics community. Let us keep his friendly and straightforward character as an ideal that each of us should pursue. We will truly miss you. Ruhe in Frieden! Gudrun, I wish you all the best to cope with all this. My thoughts are with you!

Still I cannot believe that Thomas is no longer among us. Of course, he was a dear colleague and I really honour him as a great physicist, but what will forever remain in my mind is him as a person and friend. He always gave me courage with his humour, his friendliness and humanity. I cannot find the right words: Thomas, we will utterly miss you! My thoughts are with you, Gudrun, and your great loss! All the courage for you!

Still I cannot believe that Thomas is no longer among us. Of course, he was a dear colleague and I really honour him as a great physicist, but what will forever remain in my mind is him as a person and friend. He always gave me courage with his humour, his friendliness and humanity. I cannot find the right words: Thomas, we will utterly miss you! My thoughts are with you, Gudrun, and your great loss! All the courage for you!

In this moment of pain, we cannot cancel from our memory a song that we heard once on the top of a beautiful mountain in the Alps. There was a group of people crying and singing the song called signore delle cime for a friend of them who died in his beloved mountains. Our hearth cries with them for the death of Thomas. We will never forget such a great man, physicist, teacher and human being. His passion for physics and for life, his love for the little things, for beauty and for nature are impressed forever in everyone who met him. He has been and will always be a Teacher, with capital T, one to look at when the routine makes us forget the deep passion who moved us to study physics, one to follow in his alive humanity. Certain that the negativity and then nothingness are not the last words on his and our lives, we keep Thomas always in our heart. Our deepest condolences and thoughts go to Gudrun a to his family. Maria and Giacomo

I remained speechless when I heard the tragic news about Thomas and still am struggling to deal with it. Thomas was a great person to work with, a patient teacher, a passionate physicist. But first and foremost, he was a wonderful sincere friend. I still have his email from January 2005 asking if I wanted to join him in Edinburgh as a postdoc. Lots of the beautiful memories that followed, I owe them to him. After I left Edinburgh and moved to Freiburg he never missed an opportunity to visit me in the University where he studied and the city he loved. Nothing could have kept him away from the mountains he loved. My thoughts are now with Thomas' family and with Gudrun. I wish them to find the strength to cope with this tragic moments, always remembering what a wonderful person Thomas was.

Dear Thomas, I am deeply shocked about the tragic incident. I will always remember you as a very nice person and a friend. As a scientist, I particularly appreciated your enthusiasm, your openness and your fairness. My feelings are with Gudrun and the family. Ansgar

Dear Thomas It was a great shock to hear the news of avalanche which you took you away from this world. Words fail me..I have always cherished our meetings (which mostly happened in Annecy and Les Houches). These times spent over schnapps and coffee, sharing physics and fun are now all the more precious. In India we talk of a person who departs from this world as having become dear to the gods. Your warm hearted and humane nature, along with the highly refined and intellectual mind, seems to have made you dear to the lord much before your time had come! We will all miss your laughter and your keen commitment to physics. My thoughts are with Gudrun and your family.. rohini Gudrun what can I say? Words fail.. till we meet next time..Bon Courage

In my memory I keep Thomas as an excellent scientist characterized by courage, reliability, and a true scientific spirit - and as a friend. Thomas, without you our community is not the same anymore. My deepest condolence to Gudrun and Thomas' family.

Thomas, It was always a great pleasure to welcome you and Gudrun in Annecy. You were a so nice person. We were all shocked to learn about this tragedy. We will miss you. Deepest thoughts to Gudrun. Dominique, Véronique, Virginie.

(We met Thomas and Gudrun within the European effort to structure the scientific European community in the area of physics at colliders, to which they significantly contributed.) We live in others as long as they remember us. We will not forget you. All of us feel sorry for this tragedy, and desire a complete recovery of Gudrun and their families.