I met Stephen in 2023 at some MIT AI conference. He was the kindest, most grandfatherly person. I was expecting to meet a relatively pontifical person given some of his work, but he was such the opposite that I was completely taken aback. I spent two hours that evening with him and a small group of people talking about language and maths and so on. (He was very kind to let me take a photo: https://postimg.cc/LYmVCs0G)

That conversation had a tremendous impact on me and completely changed my attitude towards meeting new people.

I am heartbroken for him and his family. And I can see that kind / heartfelt / grandfatherly nature throughout this memoriam.

And please, God, let me die with my wife like John Nash did in that NJ Turnpike taxi crash.