It is with extremely heavy hearts that we announce to the IPAC community that our IPAC’18 Local Organizing Committee Chair, Jozef Orzechowski, passed away unexpectedly on October 11, 2017.

Jozef was born on February 12, 1953 in Tylmanowa, Poland. He completed his Engineering degree at Jagiellonian University in Krakow and immigrated to Canada with his wife Jozefa Orzechowska (d. 2004) in 1982, settling in Ottawa before further relocating to Vancouver in 1991.

Jozef was an essential part of TRIUMF, Canada’s National Laboratory for Particle and Nuclear Physics and Accelerator Sciences. He was known for his contagious positivity and stubborn determination to enjoy life to the fullest. In his spare time, he loved working on cars, running, travelling, and spending time with family, especially spoiling his grandchildren.

Jozef was also an integral member of the IPAC Organizing Committee. He accepted the position for the Local Organizing Committee Chair last year and was excited to welcome the accelerator world to Vancouver. He was eager to showcase TRIUMF at IPAC’18 and wanted to ensure that all the delegates be left with lasting memories of their time here. Jozef spent numerous hours preparing for IPAC’18 and carefully hand-picked members for the LOC to ensure a smooth and enjoyable conference for all. It is in this spirit that the LOC is working diligently towards his vision for the conference. Jozef is dearly missed and his absence at IPAC’18 will not go without notice.

Dr. Cornelia Hoehr and Dr. Marco Marchetto have been appointed Co-chairs to facilitate the remaining preparations for IPAC’18.