Last Sunday, Annikki brought me our local newspaper which carried a small report about the passing away of Emeritus Professor HEIKKI TORVELA on 8th June 2005. Heikki was just 65 years old, being born on the 28th of April 1940.
and myself when the Ambassador made a special visit to
the Microelectronics Laboratory
from China, Xue, and myself
Heikki got his Engineering Diploma (Master of Science) in 1967. When I came to Oulu in 1984, it was Heikki who found me and asked me to join the Microelectronics Laboratory where he was the Laboratory Manager. We became close friends.
I prodded him that it had been almost 17 years since his Masters and that he should finish his Licentiate and then get his Doctorate. He was sceptical at first. I promised that I would help him with writing the thesis which he wanted to present in English. He acquiesced.
So we set about this task with great fury, Heikki getting the experimental work and results and the two of us sitting and composing the thesis. He completed his compulsory course work rapidly. He got his Licentiate in 1986, in just a year and a half of really herculean effort.
Then we quickly got to work on his Doctoral thesis. Within a year he published and got his Doctorate. He especially thanked me by name in his front page acknowledgements in his thesis which was entitled "Detection of air pollution and studies on ceramic tin dioxide sensors used to sense gases emitted from combustion processes".
Heikki was co-author with me in a couple of major international lectures which I delivered in France. On one occasion, when I was unable to travel, he kindly delivered one of my lectures at an international conference.
During the final stages of his licentiate, and then his doctorate, I stood in for him as the Laboratory Manager. He was then appointed as the Chief Engineer. I also stood in for him in that post. He got the chance to become Associate Professor at Lapeenranta University in Eastern Finland in Measurement Technology. After much soul searching where we spent hours together weighing the pros and cons, he took official leave from his post at Oulu University to hold that post. I held his post at Oulu University when he was away.
It was sad to see him leave Oulu, but he kept in touch with me regularly and helped me out on several occasions when I was in a jam.
He then moved in 1992 to Kemi as the Professor of Environmental Measurement Sciences. He did some extremely interesting and innovative work there. Although I left the University in 1992, I kept in touch with Heikki for many years.
Heikki retired in 2003 and was given the Emeritus Professor title.
It was a wonderful relationship where we both depended greatly on each other. I feel sad that just when we could have been enjoying our retirement years together, that he was so rudely taken away.
Heikki had many hobbies, including photography. He maintained a small photo developing studio in the Microelectronics Laboratory. He was also extremely physically fit.
Although he remained a bachelor, he really enjoyed life to the fullest, including an evening drink at his favourite pub.
I wish that his vibrant soul may now rest in peace.
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