Dear Friends,
I was not surprised to see that most of the messages stressed Alberto's unique personality.
Alberto was a scientist who contributed some seminal insights to pattern matching, for example the Augmented Suffix Tree, parallel algorithms for Stringology, or the study of quasiperiodicity. He was also one of the founders of our community.
Nevertheless, what everyone remembered and reminded was his generous personality: generous to students and colleagues, generous to the field and to the founding of other fields. Computational Biology started at the pattern matching community, and Alberto always wanted to encourage growth and collaboration with others. We all know of research areas where one needs to constantly walk with one's back to the wall, lest he be stabbed in the back by a colleague. Pattern Matching is the opposite of that! My wife, who joined us this year for CPM, and who is used to medical conferences, remarked with amazement at what a great atmosphere there was at the conference! Friends, this is clearly a result of the years of personal example shown by Alberto. We all grew up soaking that kind of behavior, and we all emulate it.
About 1700 years ago, a rabbi came from Israel to Babylonia. He was asked to teach some new insight about the Torah. He started out by saying: "Jacob the Patriarch did not die!". You have to understand that there was an inherent difference in the way the Talmud was studied in Israel and the way it was studied in Babylonia. In Israel the study was more allegorical whereas the Babylonians were more technical and literal. Thus, when this famous rabbi from Israel proclaimed that Jacob the Patriarch did not die, the Babylonians immediately asked him: "it says in the Bible that Jacob was mummified, and interned - did they mummify him for nought? Did they bury him for no reason?". So the Israeli rabbi explained to them what he meant: "As long as his descendents are alive - he is alive".
As long as there is a string to be matched, a periodicity to be recognized, a genome to be sequenced, an LCS to be computed - Alberto is alive. As long as we meet, help our colleagues, support the junior researchers, teach the students with love and care - Alberto is with us.
And now for a more practical proposition.
Another trait of Alberto that has been mentioned is that he was not a narrowly focused scientist but a true intellectual. It was always a pleasure to discuss with him all topics - from art to literature, music, and philosophy. All this was well packaged in the mind of an orator. It was a pleasure to hear Alberto discuss a topic, not only for the insights, but also for the presentation. While some people with such talents are pompous, Alberto was easygoing and fun. He could use his oratorial skills for any topic, and the famous stories that grew from this talent are witness.
I propose, in Alberto's honor, that we collect the
Apostolic Tales for posterity.
I will start and recount a few such tales. I encourage everyone to add stories they remember. I will try to collect and edit them all.
Below are two famous stories that come to mind:
While attending a conference in Salt Lake City, Alberto had a free afternoon and went to visit the great Mormon Temple.
He was assigned a dutiful young guide who showed him around and expounded the basics of the Mormon faith.
At the end of the visit his guide asked him if he would consider converting to Mormon.
Alberto's response, to the best of my recollection, was:
"Young lady. You were indeed very eloquent. Your explanations were faultless and one can not deny the cogency of your arguments.
However, I carry a heavy mantle of historical duty. As you can see, my name is Apostolico, with all that it implies. You can easily imagine the consternation of the leaders and fathers of the Church, if I converted to Mormonism. In fact, I don't doubt that the disappointment of the Pope himself would be immense. Thus, it should not be taken personally by you that, notwithstanding your excellent exposition, I shall need to decline your generous offer to join the Mormon faith".
<try to imagine Alberto saying the above sentence, and you will be, if only for a brief moment, back in his presence.>
The late Renato Capocelli is still remembered by us for the lavish dinners in the meetings he organized.
On one of the first such meetings, he invited Aviezri Fraenkel.
Alberto prepared Renato in advance for the fact that Aviezri only eats kosher food, and told him to not take it personally, but he has religious restrictions and will not be partaking in the banquet.
Renato heard, and agreed, but such heresy could not penetrate deeply into his psyche.
Throughout the meal he tried to contain himself but, as time went on, as everyone was getting happier and fuller, and all this while Aviezri was just eating his tomato and cucumber, the superego was burst and Renato reverted to his gregarious hospitable self. "Avitsri", he said (Renato never mastered the pronunciation of Aviezri's name) "try this food, it is very good!". Aviezri, with his quiet smile declined, saying he is assured it is good but, unfortunately, he can not eat it. This calmed Renato for a minute only. A moment later, he exclaimed: "Atsivri - you must try this, it is excellent!!!". Again Aviezri quietly and politely declined. Finally, Renato could not take it any longer. He speared some morsel with his fork, grabbed Aviezri by his shoulders and waved the fork back and forth in front of Aviezri's face and toward his mouth crying with exasperation: "Azviri - eat, eat, THIS IS MARVELOUS!"
It will be great if you could all share the immortal stories you remember. As I said, I will do my best to edit and collect them.
With sorrow for what was lost and can not be found again,
-- Ami