July 9, 1911 – April 13, 2008
"Johnny" was a true gentleman, one of the last great physicists of the 20th
century who had an enormous influence on so many physicists directly through his
legendary teaching skills both at Princeton and later for a time in Austin and
indirectly through his research and his book "MTW" (Gravitation) with Charles
Misner and Kip Thorne. He was my sophomore modern physics teacher, and his then young
collaborator Remo Ruffini on the black hole work became my own Physics godfather
in Italy. I was one of the fortunate few to attend his memorial service at
Princeton May 12, 2008 and the reception at the Nassau Club afterwards where I heard so many heartwarming testimonials about him
from many different angles.
—Robert T. Jantzen, May 2008
