Dear Pat, Pascal and I were both extremely saddened to hear of Brian's sudden passing and offer you and your family our deepest sympathy. I first met Brian in the early 1980s when he was Chair of the French Department. I was a graduate student at the time, doing my doctoral studies in Comparative Literature, but my teaching assistantship contracts were in the French Department. Brian was very welcoming, helpful, and friendly with me when I first arrived at the University of Toronto, and remained genuinely interested in my well-being over the past 30+ years. To me, he was always the incarnation of kindness, generosity, and good humour. A world-renowned scholar who had that rare combination of keen intelligence and humility, he was a shining example for others to emulate. I am very grateful to have known him and will cherish fond memories of him. He will be sorely missed indeed. Barbara Havercroft