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| John Stewart obituary John Stewart obituary | |
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| My husband, John Stewart, who has died aged 73 from cancer, was reader emeritus in gravitational physics at Cambridge University, and a fellow of King’s College for more than 40 years. | My husband, John Stewart, who has died aged 73 from cancer, was reader emeritus in gravitational physics at Cambridge University, and a fellow of King’s College for more than 40 years. |
| John was born and brought up in Pinner, at that time in Middlesex. His father, James Stewart, was a Glaswegian who had been apprenticed at John Brown’s shipyard but left Scotland in the 1930s and thereafter worked mainly for United Dairies as an engineer. His mother, Hilda (nee Hale), was a London-trained nurse from Merthyr Vale in south Wales. John was the eldest of their three sons. | John was born and brought up in Pinner, at that time in Middlesex. His father, James Stewart, was a Glaswegian who had been apprenticed at John Brown’s shipyard but left Scotland in the 1930s and thereafter worked mainly for United Dairies as an engineer. His mother, Hilda (nee Hale), was a London-trained nurse from Merthyr Vale in south Wales. John was the eldest of their three sons. |
| He was educated at Latymer Upper school, west London, before taking up a scholarship at Jesus College, Cambridge, and subsequently a junior research fellowship at Sidney Sussex College. He spent several years in Germany at the Max Planck Institute for Physics and Astrophysics in Munich, before he returned to Cambridge in 1975. | He was educated at Latymer Upper school, west London, before taking up a scholarship at Jesus College, Cambridge, and subsequently a junior research fellowship at Sidney Sussex College. He spent several years in Germany at the Max Planck Institute for Physics and Astrophysics in Munich, before he returned to Cambridge in 1975. |
| His work on numerical relativity was much admired, and influenced the subsequent careers of many younger academics; he also published widely on relativistic hydrodynamics and relativistic perturbation theory. He continued working until the week before his death, having recently completed a revised edition of his book on computing, Python for Scientists (2014). At the heart of this was his desire to help others understand and use tools and methods that he had found valuable. | His work on numerical relativity was much admired, and influenced the subsequent careers of many younger academics; he also published widely on relativistic hydrodynamics and relativistic perturbation theory. He continued working until the week before his death, having recently completed a revised edition of his book on computing, Python for Scientists (2014). At the heart of this was his desire to help others understand and use tools and methods that he had found valuable. |
| Many colleagues and former students have commented on his superb teaching skills: enthusiasm combined with rigour, clarity, patience and humour. He relished good conversation with students and colleagues, which was always leavened by his sharp insights and ironic humour. | Many colleagues and former students have commented on his superb teaching skills: enthusiasm combined with rigour, clarity, patience and humour. He relished good conversation with students and colleagues, which was always leavened by his sharp insights and ironic humour. |
| When John and I met in 1968, he was a junior research fellow at Sidney Sussex, and I a fellow of Newnham College. We were introduced at a dinner party given by a mutual friend and were married in Cambridge in 1970. | When John and I met in 1968, he was a junior research fellow at Sidney Sussex, and I a fellow of Newnham College. We were introduced at a dinner party given by a mutual friend and were married in Cambridge in 1970. |
| Apart from mathematics, John’s great loves were music, from Bach to Bartók and Berg, and mountain walking. We spent many long periods in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Though ill health curtailed this pleasure in later years, until his final week John retained a lively interest in the wider world and politics, always underpinned by a profound concern for social justice. | Apart from mathematics, John’s great loves were music, from Bach to Bartók and Berg, and mountain walking. We spent many long periods in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Though ill health curtailed this pleasure in later years, until his final week John retained a lively interest in the wider world and politics, always underpinned by a profound concern for social justice. |
| He is survived by me and by his younger brother, Robert. | He is survived by me and by his younger brother, Robert. |