Issue 150

Much loved math lecturer passes away, aged just 36

04th December 2006

Students and staff have been saddened to hear about the passing away of Dr. Manfred Schocker on 22 November.

Dr. Manfred Schocker, 36,was originally from Kiel in Germany and had been a Senior Lecturer in the Maths Department since 2004 and often taught Algebra courses including Combinatorics. In the summer of 2006, Dr. Schocker, had also been successful in securing a grant application from EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council).

Professor Aubrey Truman, Head of the Mathematics department, said that, "I still can not believe that he is gone. Dr. Schocker, was very popular with students and staff alike. Students naturally gravitated towards his course. He would have almost certainly made Professor in the next ten years"

After graduating from his high school in Lübeck, Dr. Schocker went on to study for his Msc (Diploma Mathematik). After completing this, Dr. Shocker then went on to complete a PHD in 2001 on 'Combinatorics and Group Representation Theory' at the Christian-Albrechts-Universität in Kiel, Germany.

Amongst many of his publications was his book cowritten with Dieter Blessenohl, 'Noncommuntative character theory of the symmetric Group' Dr. Schocker had also arranged several scientific 'Bloc' (Leicester, Bristol nand Oxford colloquium) on the representation of Algebra, and a workshop on Algebra and Combinatorics at Swansea in July 2006 with fellow academics from all over the world.

Smiling, Professor Truman commented that Dr. Schocker would manoeuvre his working hours to spend time with his family saying, "He often came into the department at around 6 p.m. or 8 p.m. and would work until 1 a.m. or 2 a.m. The next day he would come in at 11 a.m. and go home at 4 p.m. to spend time with his children.

"An irreplaceable, unique, and wonderful human being. He was a brilliant mathematician, a loving father and husband. Our loss is great, but the family's loss is greater".

A Memorial Service was held at St. Hilary's Church in Killay on Wednesday 29 November at 4.30 p.m.

Dr. Schocker, leaves behind, his wife Ingke, and his two sons, Lasse and Bosse.

Jason Sannegadu