Renaud Parentani

I have never met Prof. Parentani. But while working on sonic analogue of black holes with my Ph.D. student read some of his papers on this subject . I came to know about his untimely demise, while searchig for his e-mail address so that I can send him a copy of our paper which was just published. My deepest condolence to his near ones. R.I.P.

J'ai enseigné avec Renaud pendant plusieurs années aux jeunes étudiantes et étudiants en première année de licence. C'était un réel plaisir de travailler avec lui. Ses remarques d'ordre pédagogique ou sur la physique étaient toujours très pertinentes. On se rencontrait parfois à la cantine pour parler de l'enseignement ou de nos sujets recherche. Toujours passionné et passionnant. Toutes mes condoléances à la famille et à ses proches.

Renaud was an extraordinary person, always ready for conversation in all subjects of physics, as well as life in general. I have very fond memories of his bright and elegant disposition, and feel very sad to think that he is no longer with us. You will be missed.

FROM NICOLETTE BROUT : Renaud était partie intégrante de la vie à la maison de mon père Robert Brout à Linkebeek, je devrais plutôt dire de la maison et du jardin. Les discussions passionnées de physique avaient la part belle, mais laissaient à table, pour le repas ou le thé, la place à des "propos de table" où il était question de vins, de paysages, d'archéologie, de musique, de jardinage .... La table, un lieu central. Pour fêter le doctorat de Renaud chez Thomas Simon, un canard était au menu. Mon père est allé aux fourneaux pour s'assurer de la réussite du festin. Moment mémorable, régulièrement évoqué. Lors d'une rencontre fortuite en Toscane, Renaud avait de magnifiques bolets qu'il ne savait comment préparer, ce fut l'occasion de l'initier à l'art du nettoyage des champignons sans les gorger d'eau et d'un autre repas mémorable partagé avec Anna dans la maison italienne de mon père. Une joie de vivre épicurienne, toute en sobriété et en finesse, caractérisait Renaud, un homme profondément ancré sur cette terre qu'il aimait arpenter de son long pas, tout en posant sur les hommes et leurs étranges comportements un regard amusé. Sa disparition laisse un vide immense : j'ai peine à croire que nous ne partagerons plus jamais un repas. On aurait pu parler de Franquin, dont j'apprends maintenant qu'il était un amateur comme nous.... Peut-être a-t-il rejoint les étoiles qu'adolescent il observait au télescope du toit de sa maison familiale.

We met often, in Orsay, in Trieste, at various conferences around the world, over the last 15 years. We discussed and shared ideas and doubts and occasional insights. Renaud was a pleasure to listen to, fun to interact with, always interesting and intellectually challenging, passionate in searching for a better understanding of things, and honest about what we were not understanding. I will miss his scientific energy and rigor but even more his humor and kindness, his excitement and curiosity. He was a wonderful person.

"Do HIGHER, Do HIGHER!!!" my first son Miles, about two years old at the time, would squeal in absolute delight as Renuad lifted him higher and higher into the air, laughing and staring at him with his big brown eyes, so adoringly. Miles always called him 'Do Higher' after this and he always adored him. We all did. Funny, sweet, gentle, clever, kind, interesting Renuad. So many hills we walked up together. So many landscapes I watched light up his and Anna's faces. So many family moments I will never forget and always treasure. How Anna would tell me how he used Miles' funny childlike phrases interjected comically into everday life and how my little son Jules adored him so very much too. In recent years walking out into the countryside with just his Uncle, his tiny frame teetering happily alongside Renaud's tall body. I will miss my Brother in law more than I can put into words right now. I keep hearing his laugh, his wonderful chuckling funny contagious laugh and remembering the way he sat at the table after dinner, those every day normal tender special moments, that some how, were always so special to me. Renuad taught me many things, not just about wine and food and physics, but about life and love and family and how just to be. Say hi to Mama for me Do Higher. I will miss you so much and I hope you are time travelling through the infinite universe like the happiest shooting star. We will look up for you. With so much love always from Naomi and Miles and Jules x x x x x x x

I knew Renaud from a series of workshops at Peyresq in southeast France.  It was always a highlight at Peyresq to hear Renaud's excellent seminars and discuss his stimulating ideas.  He was very energetic in his passion for physics and gave us all a lot to think about.  I shall dearly miss him at future workshops at Peyresq, as well as Anna, for whom I offer my deep condolences.

This has come as such a shock. He was such a pleasure to be around. For me it was his passion for physics that really shone out. I got to know him through the "Analog Gravity: field in which he was one of the key pillars. He wanted to know, and he wanted things to be right. It was not sufficient to guess at an answer, or to interpret results, whether experimental or theoretical beyond what one really understood, and he would cast all of his insight and energy into making sure that he got things right. He also had little patience with physicists who did not share this desire to make sure things were right. I also remember going to their tiny Paris apartment for supper one day, and seeing (and tasking) both of their passion for food. It was the first time that I had real fresh truffles grated onto the food, and enjoyed it, and his stories about getting the truffles. At the conference in Valencia, it was he and Anna who also pointed out where one could buy the best Saffron. We are both going to miss him a lot, both in Peyresq, but also as someone to write to to get the real truth in field.