John Maynard Smith, Emeritus Professor of Biology at the School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, passed away on 19 April 2004. In 1965, he founded and became Dean of its School of Biological Sciences and served as professor there until 1985. He built it up into one of the world's great centers for the study of evolution.

Many of us had our first encounter with John through his book, The Theory of Evolution. This book succeeded in laying out the reasoning that supports and reveals the mechanisms of evolution, and did so with an elegance and clarity that made it all available to intelligent non-biologists for the first time. He did not pander. He did not strut. His grasp of ideas was so strong he never needed to do either. He set the standard that encourages us all.

Maynard Smith was more than a superb teacher. He was a superb and breathtakingly creative intellect. His achievements in evolutionary biology cannot be summarized here. They require a careful and intense scientific biography. But as evolutionary ecologists, we cannot fail to mention at least two. John's 1966 paper on disruptive selection set the stage for the modern, fruitful work on sympatric speciation that often graces the pages of EER. And his application of game theory to evolution, particularly his introduction (with George Price) of the concept of the evolutionarily stable strategy (ESS), will always be a reference point that divides the history of our science into a before and after.

John lent his influence and his name to both our predecessor journal (at the late and lamented house of Chapman & Hall) and this journal by consenting to be their honorary editor. His support and advice bolstered us in trying times and surely helped us succeed.

John, ave! If there is a next place, may yours be full of trout streams and good beer and stimulating conversations.