Seppo Suhonen in memoriam

[Johanna Laakso]

Dear Colleagues,

for your information: the funeral service will take place at the church of
Huopalahti (Vespertie 12) in Helsinki, on Friday October 1, at 14 o'clock.
Condolences to the family can also be sent to their address: Mäkipellontie
17 C, FIN-00320 Helsinki.

Those who wish may also honour Seppo Suhonen's memory by donating to the
Finno-Ugric Cultural Foundation (Suomalais-Ugrilaisen Kulttuurirahaston
Säätiö: bank account Nordea 101650-201805, IBAN: FI79 1016 5000 2018 05,
BIC: NDEAFIHH, with the words "Seppo Suhosen elämäntyötä kunnioittaen").

Best
JL



Am 14.9.2010 13.14 schrieb "Johanna Laakso" unter
<johanna.laakso at univie.ac.at>:

> 
> With deep sorrow we report that Seppo Suhonen, professor emeritus of Finnic
> languages at the University of Helsinki, passed away yesterday at the
> Helsinki University Central Hospital, at the age of 72 years.
> 
> Seppo Suhonen was an active researcher of Finnic languages, especially
> Livonian, which was already the theme of his doctoral dissertation ("Die
> jungen lettischen Lehnwörter im Livischen", MSFOu 154, 1973). His interest
> in Livonian and Latvian was also honoured by the Latvian Academy of
> Sciences: among its foreign members, he was the only Finnish linguist. The
> University of Tartu granted him an honorary doctorate, and he was an
> esteemed member in numerous scholarly associations and expert bodies.
> 
> As professor of Finnic languages from 1978 until his retirement, Seppo
> Suhonen was the benevolent and encouraging teacher of many young
> Balto-Fennicists of those times. As the indefatigable leader of the
> Department of Finnic, later also Finno-Ugric languages, he carried the
> responsibility for many difficult tasks such as the administration of
> international contacts across the Iron Curtain (for instance, organising
> Estonian lecturers for the University of Helsinki) or, later on, defending
> his low-volume discipline under the pressures of "economising" and
> "streamlining". With an equally tireless devotion he worked for the
> Finno-Ugrian Society, first as a young researcher with the Society's
> scholarship, then as the secretary (1975-1983) and, finally (1991-2000),
> president of the Society.
> 
> Last Friday, many of us ­ colleagues, friends, former students ­ saw him at
> a conference in Helsinki, physically broken by a severe illness but
> spiritually still his old self. Now hit by these sad news, we will cherish
> the memory of his undaunted diligence, friendliness and characteristic sense
> of humour.
> 
> Riho Grünthal
> Johanna Laakso
> (also in the name of many other friends and colleagues)
> 

-- 
Univ.-Prof. Dr. Johanna Laakso
Universität Wien, Institut für Europäische und Vergleichende Sprach- und
Literaturwissenschaft (EVSL) | Abteilung Finno-Ugristik
Universitätscampus Spitalgasse 2-4 Hof 7, A-1090 Wien
Tel. +43 1 4277 43019 | Fax +43 1 4277 9430
johanna.laakso at univie.ac.at | http://homepage.univie.ac.at/Johanna.Laakso/




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