Dietmar Schumacher

Dietmar Schumacher

[Robert Pare]

It is with great sadness that I announce that my longtime friend and collaborator,
Dietmar Schumacher, died on Wednesday September 17, 2014, of a massive stroke.

It was in 1971, when he took up his position at Acadia University, that he left a note
on my office door introducing himself and suggesting we meet to discuss category
theory. We did and that was the start of our long collaboration. We also started, in 1972, 
the category seminar which still runs today, 42 years later. For many years  he would drive
the 100 kms from Wolfville every week to attend the seminar, and drive back  afterwards. 
He would sometimes speak in the seminar or, if not, stimulated discussion with his penetrating 
questions. The last few years, he came less often as he found the drive tiring, but invariably 
he would read up on the topic of the week and always emailed me a question or two about it.
He kept up his interest in category theory until the end. He came to the first seminar this year,
just two weeks ago, looking strong and fit as ever.

We'll miss his wry sense of humour. His way of apologizing for some little thing, and then 
apologizing for apologizing.

Our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time.

Bob

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Re: Dietmar Schumacher

[Ross Street]

Dear Bob,

This is a big shock and terrible news.

Dietmar was one of a kind. Yes, as Bob says, always apologetic.
Yet this reflected his sensitivity both in daily life and in mathematics.

We were fortunate that Dietmar and his lovely family visited Macquarie 
for 5 months beginning in September 1984. They fitted in very well and
the children liked the schools with the novel uniforms. I remember also
a very pleasant visit to the Schumachers’ in Wolfville where we learnt more
about the origins of the Cajuns we knew from New Orleans.

Dietmar visited again for four months at the end of 1991 and stayed at
our residential college: Dunmore Lang. He charmed the Principal and
managers so much that I was invited to the Dunmore Lang Christmas Party
for many years after that as appreciation for organizing Dietmar’s stay!

Otherwise we met at conferences. A couple of times in Europe, 
Dietmar would find a document in his briefcase to give me to read.
The cobbled roads and arches we met under, usually in the wet,
made Dietmar remark that he felt like a drug dealer in some
1930s movie.

It is strange how the very little things stick in your memory.
One time when I parked my car next to one with a dent in the side,
Dietmar warned me that the owner might not be so careful opening
their door and I should move.  
   

Please accept my deeply felt condolences, especially Heide and family.

Ross




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Re: Dietmar Schumacher

[Marco Grandis]

Dear Heide,

Words always fall short of what one would say. 
I remember with affection Dietmar, his deep irony, his (your) family and warm hospitality; and occasions like a pleasant walk in your countryside, or a drive in the autumn colours (with Bob, as well).
Also our discussion about works, of course; yet, this is a minor part of the affecionate memories I keep

Marco

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Re: Dietmar Schumacher

[George Janelidze]

> Our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time.

Yes, and we shall all miss Dietmar Schumacher, fine mathematician and
gentleman... He did not write many papers, but his mind was so brilliant.
His humour was beautiful, and always based on his kindness.

George



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Re: Dietmar Schumacher

[Moneesha Mehta]

So sad. He taught me algebra at Acadia in the early '90s. He had a great sense of humour. RIP, Dr. Schumacher.
Moneesha


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Re: Dietmar Schumacher

[tholen]

Dear Bob,

This is very unexpected and sad news indeed.

Without him knowing, Dietmar was one of my early heroes when, under the
direction of Nico Pumpluen, I started my Master's thesis project on
algebraic theories and monads in early 1970. His paper on
"Minimale und maximale Tripelerzeugende und eine Bemerkung zur
Tripelbarkeit" ("Minimal and maximal generators for triples and a
remark on tripleability")
had just appeared in Arch. Math. (1969), and I felt very lucky when
shortly afterwards I got hold of a copy of his Ph. D. thesis written
under the direction of the general algebraist Walter Felscher at the
University of Freiburg, on which the Archiv article was based.

I think that it was only in the 1980s that I first met Dietmar. When I
told him then how much his Ph. D. thesis had helped me organize my
Master's thesis, he replied "Ach, das war doch alles nur trivialer
Quatsch" ("Oh, that was all just trivial nonsense").

He was so talented and knowledgeable and yet so modest that he just
couldn't ever admit to having done something important or beautiful!

He'll be missed by many of us!

Walter





Quoting Robert Pare <R.Pare@Dal.Ca>:

> It is with great sadness that I announce that my longtime friend and
> collaborator,
> Dietmar Schumacher, died on Wednesday September 17, 2014, of a
> massive stroke.
>
> It was in 1971, when he took up his position at Acadia University,
> that he left a note
> on my office door introducing himself and suggesting we meet to
> discuss category
> theory. We did and that was the start of our long collaboration. We
> also started, in 1972,
> the category seminar which still runs today, 42 years later. For many
> years  he would drive
> the 100 kms from Wolfville every week to attend the seminar, and
> drive back  afterwards.
> He would sometimes speak in the seminar or, if not, stimulated
> discussion with his penetrating
> questions. The last few years, he came less often as he found the
> drive tiring, but invariably
> he would read up on the topic of the week and always emailed me a
> question or two about it.
> He kept up his interest in category theory until the end. He came to
> the first seminar this year,
> just two weeks ago, looking strong and fit as ever.
>
> We'll miss his wry sense of humour. His way of apologizing for some
> little thing, and then
> apologizing for apologizing.
>
> Our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time.
>
> Bob




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Dietmar Schumacher

[wlawvere]

I am very sad to learn about the passing of Dietmar Schumacher. I remember 
him as a student from Walter Felscher's classroom in Freiburg im Breisgau. 
It was 50 years ago on my first visit to Germany. In the classroom Walter 
publicly referred to Dietmar and praised him, and the tall, shy student 
replied:  'mich?'

I served on his doctoral committee and over the years continued to be 
impressed by the seriousness of his approach to mathematics. He was an 
important contributor to the Canada-UK collaboration that published in 
1978 major advances in the application of Grothendieck's 1961 fibered 
categories. To facilitate those applications Pare' and Schumacher devised 
a flexible presentation of the basic theory in terms of what they called 
indexed categories.

Renewed study of these ideas, in light of the later exposition by Thomas 
Streicher, should lead to further applications (for example to the 
solution of problems posed in my 1972 Perugia Notes.)  The serene spirit 
of Dietmar Schumacher will continue to inspire those who strive to develop 
such unifying applications.

My heartfelt condolences go to his family.

Bill Lawvere



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