In Memoriam: Gary Kurowski
Some of us recall Gary Kurowski, who passed away peacefully at his home on July 26, 2022. Gary was born on March 22, 1931 in Fargo, North Dakota. Summer vacations consisted of spending time at the family cabin on the lake. These experiences instilled a life-long love of being near water. Gary attended schools in Fargo, and then continued his studies at the University of Minnesota, where he graduated in 1954. Like many young men at the time, he was drafted into the army during the Korean War. After his required two years in the army, Gary returned to the study of mathematics. He entered the Ph.D. program in Mathematics at Carnegie Mellon. Military applications of mathematics motivated much of his work. During a brief stint at Duke University, Gary met his wife, Hilda, on a blind date. He then joined the UC Davis Department of Mathematics in 1963.
Gary is fondly remembered by friends and family. He always blended in, an unpretentious man with a dry sense of humor. He loved spending evenings in his recliner, helping his three children with their mathematics homework. He and his wife Hilda rejoiced in their 59 years of marriage. He will be missed.
A video interview of Professor Kurowski was filmed in 2002, describing what inspired him to pursue math. The video is available through AggieVideo.