Liviu, a gentleman, as my wife Silvia always used to say, an inspiring human being throughout his life and now in his death; a brilliant scientist with amazing creativity; a master in Mathematics, Science and Mechanics. Liviu, a former colleague, a friend, a fine human being we now miss so much.

Liviu sacrificed his own life so the young students could fulfill their potential, a wise man through life and at death. The sense of pain and loss is immense. We all miss Liviu so much already. Being a native Brazilian I can only express this feeling by "saudade", a word which has no translation in any language but which expresses all about a sense of loss. Chico Buarque, a Brazilian composer, writer and poet described saudade as "Saudade is doing the room of a son who has already died" (Saudade é arrumar o quarto de um filho que já morreu.) Saudade! This is what it feels like.

I and my wife Silvia were fortunate enough to know Liviu, and his dear wife Marlena.

I met Liviu at the 1st Pan American Congress of Applied Mechanics - PACAM I - which took place in January 1989 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, of which I was the Chairman of the Local Arrangements Committee. In July of the same year Silvia and I arrived in Blacksburg. I was a Visiting Professor at the Engineering Science and Mechanics Department of VA Tech from July 1989 through August 2001. My office was at Norris Hall. Our stay in Blacksburg was indeed delightful and unforgettable. We made many friends during that time and Liviu and Marlena were among them. We were fortunate to have shared two years of their lives.

Professionally I was fortunate enough to have worked with Liviu on several published papers, of which at least one was a pioneer one, published in the Journal of Applied Mechanics. Liviu and I encountered common interest in the dynamic behavior of thin-walled structural elements subject to the effect of high temperature. Our collaboration continued after I returned to Brazil in August 1991, and then moved to Houston, Texas in 1993. At that time I left the Academia returning to the industry. I enjoyed so much the friendship, brilliance, and enthusiasm of Liviu that despite being in a different environment I made sure I continued our collaboration. In 2001 I was sent to Brazil to work in a project executed by the company I work for. At the time our joint effort came to an end since it was no longer possible for me to continue the necessary developments. Due to this fact, our last published paper was part of the book "Advances in the Mechanics of Plates and Shells" (The Avinoam Libai Anniversary Volume, Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2001). How fortunate I was to have the inspiration, example, and motivation from Liviu, for which I am eternally grateful and thankful.

Liviu is in peace now. A brilliant and exemplary existence fulfilled. An inspiration for all: those as me and my wife who had had the privilege to know him, and those know had the opportunity to know this kind, brilliant, generous human being, truly a gentleman.

May all of us be inspired by Liviu's exemplary existence. Thank you, Liviu. Saudade!

Marco Souza, Ph.D.
Houston, TX
msouza@houston.rr.com