Jim Lambek

["Jean Bénabou" <jean.benabou@wanadoo.fr>]

Many persons before me have talked about Jim as a mathematician, and of his important contributions in many domains of mathematics, there is not much I can add on this subject.

I met him for the first time in the winter of 1966-67. I was visiting Chicago for the academic year, and he invited me at Mac Gill for few days to give lectures at the category seminar. At that time he was already a well known mathematician with important contributions. But at that first meeting I discovered the man. A man with a vast culture in many non mathematical domains, a lot of personal charm, a big sense of humor, full of life and love of life.

I met him a countless number of times, in Montreal which I visited very often, in Paris where he attend my seminar and gave a few talks, and in many conferences, and my first impression was confirmed and deepened. 

As all of us, I shall miss him.

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