Funda Ergun

What a horrible loss of a wonderful person...

I've known Avner for almost 10 years now. While at NEC in 2001 we would have the same conversation in bad Turkish every morning when we came in (he'd learned several expressions during his hikes in Turkey). Then he'd switchto Russian, of which I knew not a word but that never stopped him; to this day I don't know what he was saying. He would then claim that we should all learn Russian just so we can read Pushkin in the original language, I don't know if he himself ever did...

Avner would always say the most absurdly hilarious things with a deadpan expression, and the most serious things with his crooked smile. I don't think it was clear to anyone which mode was which, and I am pretty sure that he did mean some (probably most) of the most absurdly funny things that he said. And these would come, unannounced, smack in the middle of a thinking session while working on a problem, followed buy a proof of a lemma. Never a dull moment with him!

I fully expected Avner to do Everest one day; and I'm sure Iwasn't alone.

Ayelet, it's impossible to imagine your and your family's pain; I do hope that some amount of control and normalcy will be restored to your lives soon. My deepest condolences, you are in our thoughts always...