Örn Helgason ( -2019)

Örn Helgason died on Monday August 19, 2019. Örn was Professor in The University of Iceland from 1969 until retirement in 2008 when he was granted the title of Emeritus Professor.

Örn was an active, enthusiastic and scholarly practitioner of Mössbauer spectroscopy. He considered the natural environment of Iceland as a giant geophysical laboratory and much of his research involved the application of Mössbauer spectroscopy to the study of mineral-related materials and the natural processes which governed their behaviour. He was committed to high quality work and assiduous in detail. His analysis of data was rigorous.

Although much of Örn’s work was conducted within Iceland he enjoyed good relationships with practitioners in Scandinavian countries, particularly Denmark. He spent sabbatical leave overseas in USA, Denmark and England and productive collaborations resulted from all these connections. Örn’s colleagues in Iceland and those with whom he collaborated overseas remember his fine qualities as a scientist which enriched their own research activities.

Örn served as the Icelandic representative to ICAME and IBAME. He was, until recent time, a regular participant at Conferences delivering Invited Lectures on several occasions.

Örn was a very good person to share time with and many will remember his generous and friendly nature. Those with whom he collaborated remember especially his friendship, good humour, interest in the world and everything in it. He was a good conversationalist and, together with his wife Bjarney, became good family friends of many with whom he worked.

Örn was a human being of high integrity, he was highly respected as a scientific colleague and friend. Our thoughts and sympathy today are with his family to whom his passing is a great loss.

Professor Frank Berry
School of Chemistry
The University of Birmingham
Birmingham B15 2TT
UK