John was one of my father's best friends, and I have many fond memories of John through their friendship. My father, Irwin Taub, was also a chemist, and when I was a boy John used to visit us annually just prior to attending the Gordon Research Conference in New Hampshire. John struck me as a super-cool guy, and my dad (and I) really looked forward to his visits. John always asked me about my interests, and he was sincere about hearing my responses and perspectives -- he always had something funny and introspective to add. My impression in those days, as a boy, was that many of my dad's friends were very smart and interesting, but most of them were quite serious people. John fell into the category of someone smart, and certainly interesting, but also very funny -- he brought out a sense of humor in my father that I didn't often get to see. In the mid-90s we arranged to all meet in Delft, at the time of a scientific conference (for them) and visits to Europe (myself, my sister) and we had an amazing time. It was only a few days, but we spent a lot of time together and had an authentic Dutch experience with the Warman family as our gracious hosts. I'll never forget this wonderful experience, and I think of it often when I remember my father and want to think about the good times we shared. I'm saddened to hear of John's passing, and wish the rest of the family strength during this difficult time. My father had a true friend in John, and that friendship was indeed cherished and reciprocated.
