Alex Heller

Alex Heller

[Michael Barr]

The younger category theorists will have had little knowledge of the great
contributions Alex made in the early days.  Not research in category
theory per se, but an early promoter, supporter, and consumer of category
theory in algebraic topology.  See his paper in the La Jolla volume.  I
believe that he was also one of the organizers of that meeting.

When I arrived in Urbana in the fall of 1964, there was an active seminar
in category theory.  Alex, Jon Beck, Max Kelly, John Gray and I were the
main participants along with graduate students.  Mac Lane's invitation to
the five of us to spend a weekend in Chicago constituted the first
mid-west category meeting.  Then came the La Jolla meeting.
Unfortunately, at the end of that year, Alex went off to CUNY, Jon to
Cornell, Max back to Sydney and John and I were left alone.

Alex was really the third established mathematician (after Eilenberg and
Mac Lane, of course) to embrace category theory in that way.  We mourn his
passing.

Alex Heller

[Noson]

Alex Heller, who was 82, died Jan. 31st, at St. Vincent's Hospital,
where he was taken after collapsing in his home the previous day.  
His wife, Grace, said it was a torn aorta. They did emergency surgery
on him, though he succumbed about eighteen hours later.

Condolences can be sent to:

Mrs. Grace Heller
29 West 10th Street
New York, NY 10011

He will truly be missed.

Noson 

Re: Alex Heller

[Dana Scott]

On Feb 1, 2008, at 12:28 PM, Noson wrote:

> It is with great sadness that I inform you of the passing of
> Alex Heller. He passed away yesterday after a short illness.
> Details to follow.

Sad, sad, sad news indeed.

I have to relay a story Alex told me not so many years ago when
we sat next to each other at a conference dinner.

I asked him about the last illness of Eilenberg, which was long
and difficult.  Alex visited him often, and after a stroke Sammy
could not talk.  On the last time he saw him, as Alex was getting
up to leave, he saw Sammy wanted something.  Then he realized he
wanted a farewell hug.  Anyone who remembers Sammy will recall
he was one of the world's prime skeptics and not much into hugging.
Alex gave him the hug, and just imagining the scene brings tears
to my eyes.

      Dana & Irene Scott
      1149 Shattuck Avenue
      Berkeley, CA 94707-2609
      ------
      Tel: (510) 527-5287

Alex Heller

[Noson]

It is with great sadness that I inform you of the passing of Alex
Heller.

He passed away yesterday after a short illness.

Details to follow.