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[ TFF 2025 Cuba ] [ Back to session ] Schedule of session "Geology and Geodynamic Evolution of Cuba and the Caribbean" in Geosciences 25, Havana. The session will take place on Thursday 10, 2025 at room 3, convened by A. Garcia-Casco and Y. Rojas-Agramonte. This session is dedicated to John Lewis, influential scholar of Caribbean geology and good friend, who passed away on March 27, 2025.
Below, some words by Manuel Iturralde-Vinent, WHEN A FRIEND LEAVES... THE SONG GOES. Yes, my dear friend John Lewis passed away yesterday, and although I hadn't spoken to him for a few months, he was sad and isolated due to the unexpected death of Kate, his wife and essential support. We met in Havana, back in 1973, when we met at a Caribbean geology workshop. With a simple and affable personality, without grandiloquence, we became friends as if we had known each other forever. Later, we shared many adventures during his visits to Cuba, as well as in many other places where looking at the rocks and sharing opinions, and a little rum, caipirinha, Red Stripe, or a tinto de verano brought us together leisurely. I often visited him at his home in Maryland, where we chatted while enjoying the exquisite recipes of the tireless Kate, always active and extremely attentive. John and I enjoyed many visits to mutual friends in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, or in Jamaica or Spain. I never saw him in a bad mood, and he simply enjoys a pleasant and useful life. I can't accept the thought that I'll no longer serve as a walking stick on long walks, like that time on a rocky beach in Costa Rica. Caribbean and Cuban geologists will remember him organizing workshops or Caribbean conferences, when both of us, along with Gren Draper, were part of the "standing committee." Of New Zealand origin, he established himself as a researcher and professor in Jamaica, Santo Domingo, and at George Washington University in DC. I have many anecdotes that I will share on another occasion. For now, goodbye, John. I know you enjoyed these landscapes.
Below, some words by Joaquín (Joa) Proenza Adios, amigo John. On March 27th, I received the very sad news of the passing of a great friend of mine (“el viejo John”). He was a noble person who didn’t need much to be happy. He was very grateful, always there for his friends and, above all, had a genuinely good heart. I first met John in Habana, back in 1998. We met at a busy bar in Obispo Street. I was carrying a copy of my PhD thesis to give to Manuel Iturralde, and he introduced me to John. I remember how John kept on flipping through the pages with interest, to the point that he almost wanted to keep it. Unfortunately for him, Manuel noticed right away and pointed out, “Hey, that copy was for me”. In the following years, we built a strong bond, not only professionally but personally as well. I valued his friendship greatly because, to me, he was more than just a friend, he was family. Almost every year, since 1999, he visited us in Barcelona. He watched my daughter Verónica grow, and every time he came, he’d bring her cookies and a book, which she loved. He brought her many books, but Vero’s favourite was Curious George (“a good little monkey, and always very curious”). He also formed an excellent friendship with my wife, Rebeca, mainly because she’s a wine expert. She would introduce him to fantastic wines from Ribera del Duero. During his visits in Barcelona, John met many of my friends and colleagues, with whom he shared interesting discussions in bars, and during dinners at home, also while eating paellas and gazing at the Mediterranean, to which he seldom invited (our dearest Dominican geology friends, including Carl, know what I am talking about). Talking with John was always very rewarding, since he had countless interesting stories about his life. They began with his origins in New Zealand, but there were many more. His time working in the mines of Zambia (then, North Rhodesia), his PhD at the University of Oxford, his time in Jamaica as Full Professor at the West Indies University, his arrival to the Dominican Republic, and finally his professorship at the George Washington University. He had a deep love for Santiago de Cuba. In fact, he even looked into buying a house there. Even though he never bought it, I can picture him enjoying a book about the naval battle of Santiago de Cuba (1898), with a cold Cristal beer in hand, or a glass of rum, soaking in the moment. I have to thank John for many things, but mainly because he was the one who introduced me to the fascinating geology of the Dominican Republic. Together, we worked on the petrogenesis of the Loma Caribe peridotites, and on the Maimón and Los Ranchos Formations. We also studied various metallic mineral deposits (Ni, Sc, PGE, Cu, Zn, Ag, Au), specifically in the Falcondo Mining District, Cerro de Maimón, Pueblo Viejo and Bayaguana Districts. John’s contribution to our research group in the University of Barcelona is invaluable, in fact, we have always considered him another member of our team. We made sure his table was always ready for him at the former Departament de Cristal·lografia, Mineralogia i Dipòsits Minerals of the University of Barcelona during his stays. I will forever be grateful to his support during the PhD theses of Cristina Villanova, Thomas Aiglsperger and Lisard Torró. I will always remember John as a humble and easy-going person, with his NB sneakers, and his inseparable briefcase full of copies of scientific papers on the Geology of the Caribbean Region, a pen in hand, his Mac laptop with a desktop absolutely full of files and folders, a book that deserved to be read, and a smile. I hardly ever remember seeing John upset, except when his former students or collaborators didn’t reply to his emails. John had a way of making every moment feel meaningful, whether through his stories, his kindness, or his genuine curiosity about the world. Saying goodbye is never easy, but knowing that I’ve been one of the lucky people able to share life with him brings me a smile I’ll carry for a long time. You’ll always be remembered. Hasta siempre, amigo John. >> Take a look to John's scientific production in Scopus and Research Gate. Below, some photographs kindly provided by Joaquín Proenza and Carl Nelson.
2013, La Habana.
2011. Falcondo, República Dominicana.
2011, Convencion Geociencias, La Habana, con Manuel, Mireya, Alfred, Mercier de Lepinay y Joa.
2013, Convencion Geociencias, La Habana.
2013, Convencion Geociencias, La Habana.
2013, Convencion Geociencias, La Habana.
2009, John en su despacho de la Univ de Barcelona.
2007, Loma La Monja volcano-plutonic assemblage, República Dominicana.
2007, Loma La Monja, República Dominicana.
2011, campo Lateritas Falcondo, República Dominicana, con Cristina, Thomas y Joa.
2011, con la Junta directiva de la SODOGEO y Joa, República Dominicana.
2011 en casa de Cevero Chávez con su familia, tomando rones y escuchando a Thomas tocar el piano.
2011 Falcondo con Pancho Longo.
2011 Falcondo con Pancho Longo.
2011, cenando con la familia de Salvador y Cevero, Cristina, Thomas and Joa, República Dominicana.
2011, visitando proyecto Everton Ampliacion Pueblo Viejo, República Dominicana, con Carlos y Joa.
With Joa.
With Julia, PhD student (on chromitites, among others, from Dominican Republic).
2014, explicando Complejo Rio Verde, República Dominicana.
2017, casa de Ruth, República Dominicana, conversando con amigos-Salvador, Hugo, Carl, Pancho y Joa.
2017, cerdo asado en casa de Ruth, República Dominicana, con Pancho and Joa.
2007, Peridotitas Loma Caribe, República Dominicana, con Javier, Pancho and Joa.
2011. Falcondo, in his loved Dominican Republic. Goodbye John! [ Top of page ] [ Back to session ] [ TFF 2025 Cuba ] |
