Jerzy (Jurek) Lewandowski

I was really saddened to learn of the passing of Professor Lewandoswki. During my PhD program, I had the privilege of meeting him when I visited his group in Warsaw, which was the beginning of a valued collaboration and correspondence. As an academic, he was exceptionally professional. As a person, he was incredibly kind, had a great sense of humor, and was always supportive. His unique personality and teaching style in the classroom were truly inspiring for me, and I believe he greatly influenced and shaped the academic paths of his students. His memory will always remain with me, and I am very grateful for all that I learned from him.

I cannot find words to express my deep sadness over Jurek’s passing away. I got to know him as a husband of his beloved Ela. Kind-hearted, gentle person with a great sense of humour. And just by the way – a top-notch scientist who remained humble and approachable to everyone. Surprisingly humble taking into account his achievements. Always a little bit mind-absent but extraordinary in his pursuit to understand the world around him. He has a rare gift of child-like curiosity and the ability to seek for comprehension without bias. Jurek, no matter where you are now, I hope you have found all the answers you were looking for. May you rest in peace, My Dear.

Jurek was my PhD thesis supervisor and a friend. I will always cherish the time we spent together—whether it was standing in front of a blackboard discussing scientific ideas, organizing conferences, hitting the gym, skiing, or simply talking about life. He introduced me to the world of science and set a remarkable example of what true scientific discourse and collaboration should be, marked by openness, meticulous attention to detail, and the humility to say 'I don’t know.' I always felt his strong support and encouragement. I will deeply miss him.

I'm deeply saddened by the sudden loss of Jurek. He was more than just my PhD supervisor—he was a great mentor, a guide, and a true friend. Jurek created a space where learning thrived, not only about our work but about personal growth as well. He gave me freedom, responsibility, and invaluable support, and his influence shaped my career and my thinking in profound ways. His quirky humor and kind-hearted nature made working with him a joy, and I will always cherish the moments spent in the vibrant, international team he built. His loss leaves a great void in my heart, and I can't begin to fathom the pain his family must be going through. Please know that Jurek was an extraordinary person, and his memory will always hold a special place in my life.

I did not know Professor Lewandowski personally, and only saw him at this year's LOOPS conference in Florida. But my admiration and gratitude towards him goes far back. I became familiar with his name about 2 years ago when I decided to write an undergraduate thesis on the mathematical aspects of LQG. I perused paper after paper by Professor Lewandowski and had impressed upon me the brilliance of his scientific mind. In countless episodes of intellectual agony, I found solace in his foundational work in the field. For an aspiring young physicist, such an experience is the equivalent of a toddler being helped by an elder gain its balance while learning how to walk. And thus I developed a very personal-intellectual bond with Professor Lewandowski that, unbeknown to him, I cherish to this day. And this is why I feel so saddened by the news of his demise. May you rest in peace, Professor.

I did not know Jurek very well personally, though I met him at a lot of professional interactions. I would have loved to have gotten to know his personally though because he had an amazing sense of humor which would lighten the heavy atmosphere during a seminar or Zoom talk at just the right time. I first encountered him when I was a grad student at Penn State and spent much of my time loitering around what was then called the ICGC - International Center for Gravitation and the Cosmos. There was this bald lumbering Polish giant walking through the corridors towering over everyone and I didn't quite know what to make of him. Over time I came to know of the fundamental contributions he had made to canonical quantum gravity and to general relativity. I also realised over time that in addition to being very tall, he was very gentle and easy to talk to. My closest interaction with him was during the Loops 2019 conference in Lyon. He was a delightful and brilliant personality and will be deeply missed.

Jurek was a force of nature, a gravitational force all by himself, that changed our trajectories and pulled us together. He was also a light, brightening many days with his kindness and warmth, and discovering and illuminating new paths in physics. Our shared history goes back decades, but I don't have the words, not yet, maybe never, to adequately describe what Jurek meant to me professionally and personally. His passing is such a tremendous loss. My thoughts are with his beloved Ela and his family.

Jurek, You come for pursuing the truth, You leave with endless echos of sigh, Hoping you could glance back when you hearing the bells I am pounding for you. May you find the great peace by the golden edge of silvery cloud. Being well wherever you being, my most respectful friend. From Chen Zhao 来有所成，去有回响； 来去皆自由，望君天边好云游。