An outstanding popularizer of astrophysics, a sensitive humanist, a poetic writer, a dignified and humble man of science: Hubert Reeves, who died today in Paris at the age of 91, looms large in the collective memory here and abroad, and especially at his alma mater, Université de Montréal.
With a bachelor's degree in physics from UdeM in 1953, Reeves taught the subject from 1960 to 1964, and maintained his link with the university throughout his career as an associate professor and later as an honorary professor. Every year, he returned to his old department to teach cosmology.
In 1984, the university awarded Reeves an honorary doctorate in recognition of his major contribution to astrophysics, in particular his studies on "the abundance of heavy hydrogen before the formation of the first stars", which led to a better understanding of the Big Bang. Seven other universities in Canada and Europe followed suit with honorary PhDs of their own.
Every year, through the Hubert Reeves Fund, a bursary is awarded to a graduate student in astrophysics at UdeM. Reeves' passion for astronomy and his knowledge of ecology were also a regular feature of the public lectures he gave for the university's Les Belles Heures (formerly Les Belles Soirées) series.
René Doyon, himself a renowned astrophysicist and UdeM physics professor, had the good fortune to be Reeves' student, and paid tribute to his former professor as his death was announced.
"All of Quebec mourns the passing of the grandfather of Quebec astrophysics and one of the greatest scientific communicators," said Doyon. "His curiosity, his love of nature and his willingness to share it with the public, so poetically, will always remain an immense source of admiration and inspiration. The beauty of the Universe and the fragility of our small planet will always resonate with the name Hubert Reeves."
