Wednesday, June 5, 2019
I first met John and his family upon my arrival in Zurich in September 1969 to start my job at IBM's Zurich Research Laboratory (ZRL). This was my first job after completing my doctoral studies, and this was where John would spend a year on sabbatical leave from IBM's Watson Research Center. We became instant friends. When my wife had to return to the U.S. for several weeks to visit her father, who was ill, the Slonczewskis “adopted” me. During that time, I often had dinner at their apartment, where Esther, John’s wife, fed me delicious meals, preventing me from suffering from malnutrition. This experience cemented our friendship for the rest of John’s life.
