I had the privilege – which I cherished for about 80 years – of being Jasper’s oldest friend. That friendship began in Durban and was maintained – not as frequently as I would have liked – when we met in Johannesburg, Hull, New York and Padua, as well as in Los Angeles where he and Rosie visited Andrea and me. We also conducted some great telephone calls, spanning the breadth of the US, that facilitated many fascinating conversations on a range of subjects.
Back in the earliest days – when we did not yet have any intellectual or career aspirations – I regarded Jasper first and foremost as a “fun guy” with whom I shared many laughs. When, after many years, I visited him in Hull, I was able to better discern his studious, intellectual side, as well as to appreciate his liberal views. There was always something for me to learn from them. Although a man of science, he found the time and the skills to master Italian, in itself quite a feat. But throughout so many years of serious endeavor and a brilliant career, he retained the familiar, easy laugh of his youth, and no less his sense of humor. I will continue to think of him often, and to enjoy memories of all the good times we spent together.