Dear Marta, dear friends and colleagues, Dear Barbara,​ Fatima joins me in sending you our heartfelt condolences for your great loss.  Our thoughts are with you.   It is with deep sadness and regret that I learned about Fred’s passing.   I always enjoyed his uniquely lively lectures that had a musical rhythm and showed so much enthusiasm and passion that left us inspired.   For many decades Fred has been my dear friend. He was the first person whom I encountered when I arrived at Columbia University, (in the early days of  the 60’s). He showed me the way to Eilenberg’s office. Later he guided me to my introduction to several facets of category theory. I was a novice and I very much appreciated his kindness, his warmth, and his friendship.   In a Columbia class that we both attended, he pointed out the relation between adjoint functors and free algebras.  Later he extended that relationship to algebras with infinitary operations. He emphasized the mutual relevance of functional analysis and category theory; (each still has much to teach the other)  and I know that Fred’s guidance will continue to play a role.   I loved the wide-ranging discussions, when we met for the last time in Warsaw for Eilenberg’s 100th Birthday, and further on the phone just a few months ago.   I will miss him very much.    Bill Lawvere   [For admin and other information see: http://www.mta.ca/~cat-dist/ ]