Remembrances or condolences for Dr Wenbo V. Li

Evarist Giné

I wish to express my condolences to Sunny and Jimmy. Your husband and father was a very fine person and a highly accomplished mathematician.

We will miss him, we will miss his enthusiasm, his charm, his passion for every thing that relates to Gaussian processes and to his work in general, and the theorems that he would have proved had he remained with us longer. We will miss the friend and the colleague.

Liwei XU and Qiao Liang

You said that you are coming to Chongqing this summer and next year during your sabbatical. This time, you can not make your words. I proposed a session of stochastic PDE in the workshop to be held in Chongqing. Now, I removed this word " stochastic" yesterday. I missed you so, so much, my teacher, my friend, my teammate!!

Jintong Zheng

It was a great honor for me to have Professor Li as my PhD adviser. He has an open mind, and encourages students to explore their own interests in both academia and life. He was passionate about probability, from brain teasers to the most difficult research topics. It was such a loss of such a good person. My sincere condolences to Sunny and Jamie.
Jintong Zheng

Peng Chen

Words cannot even begin to express our sorrow, you are in our prayers.

Zhengyan Lin

With Professor Li Wenbo suddenly died unfortunately, shocked and saddened. Professor Li has outstanding achievement in probability theory, especially the Gauss process and the small ball probability. Professor Li was very concerned about the development of probability and statistics in China and has made contribution. Professor Li is one of the main organizers of The joint Chinese-Russian seminar on asymptotic methods of probability theory and mathematical statistics. Li's death was a great loss to the international probability bounds and let us also lost a sincere friend. Would like to extend my deep condolences.

Rafal Latala

It was extremely sad and shocking to learn about Wenbo's passing away. He was very talented, knowledgeable probabilist, full of passion and enthussiasm. It was always enjoyable to discuss mathematics, hike or just drink a beer with him.

My deepest condolences to Wenbo's wife and son.

Zhao Dong

The morning of the 27th, I suddenly got the news that Wenbo leave us from the phone. When I heard it, my hands could not help but tremble. Two days ago, we just have discussed the academic visiting plan for him this year in Beijing. Who would have thought that now! These days, his voice, his smile, his vibrant figure emerge in front of my eyes from time to time. His office supplies is also to save in my office for his next visit.
I met Wenbo in 2002. The passing years, we often together participate in academic conferences, visit University in the mainland. Listen to his academic reports, discussing with him the mathematical problems, I offen get unexpected results. His understanding of mathematics and the deep of thinking had a profound influence on me. I miss Wenbo greatly.
My deepest condolences to his family
. Wednesday January 30 2013 - 02:23 PM

Peter Ran

please rest in peace Li Lao Shi. It was a pleasure playing soccer with you Delaware for two years. You were very funny and enthusiastic. You will be greatly missed!!

Davar Khoshnevisan

Dear Sunny and Jimmy,

Please accept my deepest condolences. Wenbo was a wonderful person, a true friend, and oh so full of life. I don't recall a single time that we met in the last 20 years when he didn't speak with love and pride of his family. I am proud, and feel honored, to have known Wenbo.

Erkao Bao

My sincerest condolences to Prof. Li's family. Please accept my most heartfelt sympathies for your loss. The first time that I met Professor Li was in a colloquium in China. Till now I can still remember the his passion when he explained the beauty of probability. For many times, he encouraged me and helped me. I am very saddened to hear of the death of Prof. Li. He will be greatly missed.

Zunlei Xiao

Completely shocked, I received the call from Sunny on Saturday.
Professor Wenbo Li, my adviser, my friend, you have left, too soon, too sudden.
The meeting we were supposed to have this week, the ski trip you planned to organize in February, your biggest challenge of climbing to Everest Base Camp in the near future… all gone.
But you will always be in my thoughts.
Some people come into our lives, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never the same.
Your passions in math, your positive attitudes towards life and your caring of the family all have influenced your students.
I’m so proud of being your student.
May your heart and soul find peace and comfort.

Jun Peng

Prof. Wenbo Li is my joint Ph.D advisor. As an advisor, Prof. Li is patient,supportive, available and inquisitive about his students' interest. Prof. Li gives me the experience to help me grow in many ways. He has encouraged me to attend conferences and give presentation. He has told me to be consistent, dedicated and passionate in work, all of which become the treasure of my life. I will forever remember him. My deepest condolences goes to his family.

Frederi Viens

Wenbo, my friend, this is a real shock. As a colleague, you inspired my work on Gaussian processes and I will continue to try to use some of the things you taught me. As a member of our community of probabilists, you were always gracious and generous with your time and knowledge, a model for us to follow. As a friend, you put smiles on the faces of many. We will always remember you. Condolences to your loved ones. Take care up there.

Quan Deng

My deepest condolences to Prof. Li's family. I took his course Math 630, he is one of the best teachers I ever had. I will never have such a wonderful probability course again.

Antonio Ciro

Our deepest condolence to Dr Wenbo Li 's family. He will certainly be missed.

Song Xi Chen

Wenbo is a person of passion. That is my impression from a very limited encounters with him in conferences etc. He has climbed many sections of the old Great Wall which is still in their original state without being renovated for ordinary tourists. I was fascinated by that and wanted to go with him once when he came to Beijing. He was so generous and agreed to take me. For some reason, I was too occupied with things, and his kind offer has not been taken. This is a real pity.

Whenever I see the Wall, I will think of you. Rest in peace, Wenbo.

Song Xi Chen

Wenbo is a person of passion. That is my impression from a very limited encounters with him in conferences etc. He has climbed many sections of the old Great Wall which is still in their original state without being renovated for ordinary tourists. I was fascinated by that and wanted to go with him once when he came to Beijing. He was so generous and agreed to take me. For some reason, I was too occupied with things, and his kind offer has not been taken. This is a real pity.

Whenever I see the Wall, I will think of you. Rest in peace, Wenbo.

Xingye Qiao

I was shocked by the sudden news. My deepest condolences to Prof. Li's family.

Xiao Yang

I am so sad and shocked. Prof. Li is a great teacher and adviser. He not only taught me stochastic process, but also helped me get the research opportunity for Gemes program and wrote a recommendation letter for me. I really appreciate his help. Rest in peace and my deepest condolences to Prof. Li's family.

Yakov Nikitin

My deepest condolences to Wenbo's family. He was outstanding personality, one of most talented mathematicians I have ever met.I will always remember him.

Joel Zinn

First let me express my condolences to Sunny and Jimmy. I am extremely saddened by Wenbo's passing and will miss him as a mathematical colleague, a friend and a collaborator. I will always remember Wenbo as being the first one up the hill on meeting excursions. And I will remember Wenbo as always being willing to spend his time helping with and discussing mathematics with his friends. He is already greatly missed.

Keith Mellinger

I am so sorry to hear this. Dr. Li taught a great graduate course in probability and was always an asset to the department at UD. This is a major loss for all of us. RIP Dr. Li.

Yanzhao Cao

I have known Wenbo since the college years at Jilin University. A teacher of both of us asked me recently who was the best mathematician among all the math students coming out of Jilin University. I told him that Wenbo was one of the best, if not the best. When I was with Wenbo I could feel mathematics surrounding us even when we were not talking mathematics at all. The last couple of times I visited Delaware we were planning a trip to Atlantic City on my behalf, but did not make it. I remember we were both saying " No problem, next time..." Rest in peace, Wenbo.

Richard Braun

Dear Sunny and Jimmy,

Our hearts go out to you at this difficult time. He is already missed very much by so many people, and will be very much missed by our department for a long time to come.

Rich and Mary Braun

Jim and Polly Kuelbs

Dear Sunny and Jimmy,

Polly and I are deeply saddened by the tragedy of Wenbo’s passing. Life for each of us is but a split second on our Universe’s clock, but in Wenbo’s life he did many exceptional things. He was a great friend, an outstanding mathematician, and he also served the community in the use of his many talents to make things better in everything he encountered. We feel extremely fortunate to have known him, and to have had him as a friend and colleague. His life was far to short, but nevertheless very special. He will be missed greatly.

We share your grief, and offer our deepest condolences to you and Wenbo’s parents.