I admit that Ian was a little scary to me at first, a staffer in a new job. But in rather short order I learned that he was funny, and kind, and cared deeply about both his work, those that he worked with, and his students. One of my first encounters with Ian was to ask him if he would talk to the student science club at Rocky Mountain High School in Fort Collins. He asked where this would be, and I responded "on the grounds of the high school" (basically saying that he needed to go there, as opposed to having them come to him). His response still makes me smile: "on the grounds! Am I supposed to do this in the parking lot!" Vintage Ian. During the last time that I saw him, he was grumbling about a problem that we were having on the first floor of the micro building (where we both had an office). He told me that the situation was "untenable" and suggested that I go home. He then called the Dean of the college, and within 30 minutes someone had arrived to fix the problem. That's the kind of effect that he had on people. He was a man who always did what he thought was right, lived exactly as he wished, and helped an awful lot of people. RIP, friend.