It is with great sadness that I learned of Alain's passing. Whilst he might not be the most familiar name for the average reader of this blog, he was an important figure in my pre-history and history as a mathematician. He was instrumental in turning the University of Antwerp into the unified institute it is nowadays during his many years as rector, and before that he was an important figure in the Antwerp school of noncommutative algebraic geometry. This is where I grew up, both in the physical and mental sense.

I vividly remember one conversation we had. The obituary on the university's website mentions some of his other interests, but based on my memory one should add Pixies to that list. I can only agree with Alain that Pixies is the greatest band in history, and those familiar with their oeuvre can for sure think of an appropriate song to play.