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Juha Heinonen
Professor of Mathematics Juha Heinonen Born July 23, 1960, in the small town of Toivakka in central Finland, Heinonen was raised in the village's old-age home where his mother served as the sole staff member. His father, Vilho, was a lumberjack and well-respected socialist politician for the tiny town. After graduating high school, Heinonen served one year as an officer in the Finnish army, and then enrolled as a student of mathematics at the University of Jyväskylä. His 1987 doctoral thesis, directed by Olli Martio, was in non-linear potential theory.
Heinonen first came to U-M in 1985 as a visiting graduate student for a semester. His first appointment in the Department of Mathematics began in 1988, when he returned as a three-year post-doctoral assistant professor. In 1992 he accepted a tenure track assistant professorship, and in 2000 he was promoted to professor. He served as associate chair for graduate studies in the Department of Mathematics from 2004-07.
Heinonen was a leading figure in geometric function theory, his main research area. His two books "Nonlinear Potential Theory of Degenerate Elliptic Equations" (co-authored with T. Kilpeläinen and O. Martio) and "Analysis on Metric Spaces" have become standard references in their fields. He co-authored more than 60 research papers, many of which contributed to the creation of a new branch of mathematics, now called analysis on metric spaces.
Heinonen's expertise was recognized with many awards and fellowships, including a Sloan Fellowship, numerous NSF grants, several visiting appointments and an Excellence in Research Award from U-M. For seven years he was an editor of the Proceedings of the American Mathematical Society. In 2002 he was invited to give a talk at the International Congress of Mathematicians in Beijing. Heinonen became a member of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters in 2004.
A dedicated thesis advisor, Heinonen directed eight doctoral students. Many students, junior faculty and young researchers greatly benefited from his patient mentorship and wise tutelage, colleagues say. Heinonen often said he was very grateful for the excellent mentoring he himself received as a young mathematician, and was happy to repay in kind. In addition to his advisor, he especially acknowledged Professor Emeritus Fred Gehring, whom he met in 1985, and Jose Fernandez, to whom Gehring introduced him later that academic year at the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute in Berkeley. He was deeply influenced by Dennis Sullivan, who directed his attention to analysis in more abstract settings.
When Heinonen originally came to the United States, his intention was to stay for a short period. His plans changed when he met his future wife, Karen Smith, a first-year graduate student of mathematics, who also arrived in Ann Arbor in the fall of 1988. They died Dec. 4, 2007 in a car accident near St. Ignace, Mich., family members say.
Flora, 92, was a resident of Wildwood Shores, near Brevort, Mich.
Flora was preceded in death by his wife, Margaret.
Flora is survived by five daughters, a son, nine grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
Flora requested cremation.
A memorial service is planned for August 2008 in St. Ignace, Mich.
Margaret Pennington
Margaret A. "Peg" Pennington born Sept. 16, 1935 in Jackson, Mich., the daughter of Earl and Bessie (Gavette) Ryan. She preceded in death by her brother James Ryan and sister Barbara Weir.
A funeral mass took place Nov. 7 at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Chelsea, with the Rev. William Joseph Turner presiding. Burial followed at Oak Grove Cemetery in Chelsea.
Expressions of sympathy can be made to St. Mary's Catholic Church.
Wilfred Kaplan
Wilfred Kaplan, professor emeritus of mathematics, born Nov. 28, 1915, in Boston, Mass., the son of Jacob and Anne (Levenson) Kaplan. After graduation from Boston Latin School, he entered Harvard University, where he completed his A.B. degree in mathematics summa cum laude. With a traveling fellowship he then spent the year 1936-37 in Europe, where his fluency in German and French helped him meet and confer with many leading mathematicians.
While attending lectures at ETH Zürich he met another mathematics student, Ida "Heidi" Roettinger, who would become his wife of 66 years. In addition to mathematics, they shared a passionate interest in music and literature. They were died Sept. 14, 2007, in Saginaw. She was 87.
Chernow was born March 14, 1925, in Detroit to Michael and Dorothy Chernow. She grew up in Saginaw and graduated in 1943 from Saginaw High School. She attended U-M, earning a bachelor's degree in social work in 1947, followed by a master's degree in social work in 1953.
She was employed as a social worker in the city of Detroit and for Wayne County. While employed at General Motors in Detroit she continued social work activities. As a result, she was awarded the General Motors Award for Excellence in Community Activities.
In 1973 she returned to U-M as director of the Martha Cook Building, where she had lived as a student. Ten years later she returned to Saginaw to help her parents. During that time she was manager of a General Nutrition Center. She later worked at Delta College as an instructor in geriatric studies in the Home Health Care Companion Program.
Chernow was a member of Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Church. In her later years, she was a member of the Saginaw Valley Antique Society, Serendipity, the American Society of Germans from Russia and took part in her high school class reunion and U-M Women's Club activities.
Chernow is survived by her sister, Naida Scharboneau, and four nieces and nephews.
