Verbatim: UH law school mourns passing of professor Jon Van Dyke

The following is a message by Aviam Soifer, a dean at the University of Hawaii’s William S. Richardson School of Law, notifying UH law students of the recent passing of professor Jon Van Dyke.

Dear Members of the William S. Richardson School of Law Community,

I have the awful task of informing you that Professor Jon Van Dyke passed away earlier today while at a conference in Australia.

I am personally so very sorry to have to give you this news.

Jon was admired, loved, and vitally important throughout a remarkable number of different circles of people stretching far beyond our Law School, but we were particularly and truly blessed to have the direct benefit of his many years of inspirational teaching and scholarship, remarkable public service, and deep and abiding friendship.

There is and will be no other like him.

Jon apparently died in his sleep and we are awaiting further details about memorial arrangements.

Tomorrow we will gather for an All School Memorial during what would have been his Constitutional Law 1 class, beginning at 1:30 p.m. in Classroom 2, and there will be another Evening Memorial beginning at 5:30 p.m., also in Classroom 2, when his evening Constitutional Law 1 class would have been held.

Throughout the day, members of the community are invited to come to the Moot Courtroom to share memories, to mourn, and to comfort one another.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Sherry Broder, and with their children and family.
A book for condolences will be available.

Any students who feel that they cannot attend other classes or meet other obligations will be excused. We are in the process of arranging counseling and making appropriate adjustments for his classes and for Law School exams.

Like so many others, I find it virtually impossible to think about the Law School and our community without picturing Jon working away and bringing his extraordinary array of different skills to bear on all kinds of genuinely important projects and commitments.

Jon Van Dyke will certainly not be forgotten, but he will be hugely missed.

Aloha,

Avi