sad new: Frits Staal

[Deshpande, Madhav]

Frits was a caring friend.  When we met in Austin during the Vedic Workshop, he was asking me about my family, and I told him that my daughter had fallen in love with a Brahmin boy in California.  Frits warned me that it was OK that they are in love with each other, but I as the father of the girl should make sure that the Brahmin boy had a different gotra!  Frits did not want my daughter to face the dilemma of a sagotra marriage!  It is sad to hear of the passing of a good friend.

Madhav

Madhav M. Deshpande
Professor of Sanskrit and Linguistics
Department of Asian Languages and Cultures
202 South Thayer Street, Suite 6111
The University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104-1608, USA
________________________________________
From: Indology [INDOLOGY at liverpool.ac.uk] on behalf of Dominik Wujastyk [wujastyk at GMAIL.COM]
Sent: Monday, February 20, 2012 6:02 AM
To: INDOLOGY at liverpool.ac.uk
Subject: Re: [INDOLOGY] sad new: Frits Staal

I am very sad indeed to hear this.  May I join my voice to those of
others in saying what a huge and very original contribution Frits made
to our field, and how valuable his studies and example have been to me
personally.  His famous Euclid & Panini inaugural was a huge
inspiration to me early in my career, as I moved from the sciences to
Sanskrit studies.  Later, reading his works on vyakarana and nyaya was
also pivotal in opening up the treasures of India's linguistic
traditions.

I am shocked by the news too, since Frits and I were corresponding by
email on the 20th and 21st of last month.  He told me of his illness,
but said the doctors were suggesting that he had several years yet
before him.

I shall miss him.

Best wishes to all,
Dominik


On 19/02/2012, Michael Witzel <witzel at fas.harvard.edu> wrote:
> Dear All,
>
> I just received the sad news that my old friend, the famous Indologist Frits
> Staal, has passed away peacefully, today Sunday 2/19/12, at his home in
> Chiangmai, Thailand.