Robert Odoni, who died in Manchester on July 28, 2002, was appointed to a
Chair of Pure Mathematics in 1989, having previously held a Personal Chair in
Number Theory at the University of Exeter. He had been suffering from a
heart condition and serious complications (including kidney failure) since
1996, and it was one of these that led to his sudden passing. Despite his
illness, there were periods when Bob had continued to work, until ultimately
he was obliged to take early retirement on ill-health grounds in November
2001.

Bob was an inspirational mathematician. His research in number theory and
other areas is highly regarded. His understanding of many aspects of
mathematics, and its history, personalities and literature, would have been
rivalled by few. He was therefore well known and held in high esteem by
the international mathematical community. Within the department itself, he
was very willing to share his knowledge and insight with others, thereby
stimulating and encouraging research activity in Glasgow. As an amiable and
generous-spirited olleague, supervisor and teacher, he is greatly missed by
all.

An obituary (with publication list) for the Glasgow Mathematical Journal by
Prof S D Cohen is available here.

A tribute from a friend, Thomas McLaughlin is available here.