It is with immense sadness that we have learned of the sudden passing of our friend and colleague Sylvain David on Sunday, 23rd February. This is terrible news and we are stunned.
Our thoughts are with his wife Sandra, his family, and all his loved ones, to whom we extend our most sincere condolences.
Beyond his official functions and remarkable scientific achievements, we also wish to honour the memory of Sylvain as we knew him daily at IJCLab, in the Energy and Environment division, and in the RaPhyNEE team.
Sylvain embodied an approach to science that was both rigorous and humane. In continuity with the qualities he expressed at the national level, he remained deeply involved in the life of the laboratory. Never lost in the higher spheres, he invested himself in mentoring interns and doctoral students, whilst continuing his teaching at the university from undergraduate to engineering schools.
Sylvain had a unique presence in meetings. Even when he seemed withdrawn, the pertinent questions he would suddenly raise revealed his deep understanding of the issues and his constant attention.
These traits that made Sylvain an exceptional colleague will be deeply missed, but will continue to inspire us in our daily work.
All those whom he touched can pay tribute to him; testimonials in memory of Sylvain are being collected by email at memoriam.sylvain-david@in2p3.fr and will be gathered on the page https://cc.in2p3.fr/sylvain/.
The IN2P3 also wishes to communicate its regret for his sudden passing, which can be viewed on this page.