The beginner statistics course in Forestry that year was huge...about 180 of us. During class, while Dr Kozak was busy lecturing,, notes were being passed around by some of the more mischievous students....airplanes at 11am....At 11 am, a multitude of paper airplanes soared into the air. Dr. Kozak waited calmly while the planes landed all around him; he smiled and calmly told us to make sure the planes were picked up before we left the hall...and then he continued on with the lecture. Do the work and you will pass, he told the class. Tony Kozak was a classy dude!

I took a course with Dr. Kozak in 2003/2004. He was such a lovely prof. So knowledgeable and I thoroughly enjoyed learning stats in this course.

My very first class in my very first year at UBC was statistics, with Tony, in September 1987. I remember clearly he said "some professors go over the syllabus and that's it, but you're paying good money to be here, so get out your pen and paper and let's get started on the 1st lecture." Tony was a recurring inspiration during my studies at UBC, both when I was a B.S.F. and M.F. student. I remember his graduate regression class, where he brought lecture notes on the back of old punch cards. Some lessons I share with my students, today; my notes from that class are the foundation of my notes for my own class. Tony had common sense, he was kind, but he knew when he was right. His paper on cross-validation with Rob is under-read, and under-appreciated. I can't remember the last time I saw Tony; it was probably at a Western Mensurationist meeting and there was probably a glass of scotch involved. Still to this day I find myself saying "or-to-go-nal" contrasts, and I remember Tony. Great memories of a great mentor; you will be missed but never forgotten.

Blessed be his soul.

Tony Kozak was my Associate Dean, my statistics professor (2nd and 4th yr), and later my boss. As a student, and president of the Undergraduate Society, I had many meetings in Tony's office that were "challenging" to say the least! At times, the student body events got a bit rambunctious, and the student council took the rap! After graduation I worked in Student Services in the faculty, where Tony hired me as first a maternity leave replacement and later a full time recruiter/advisor. Over the years, the relationship moved from colleague to friend. I attended Tony's retirement party at the university knowing that a big part of my world would be missing when he no longer held the office of Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies. I will attend the upcoming Celebration of Life with a heavy heart, sad at the loss of this great man, but joyful in the knowledge that I will always have my memories of his friendship and influence in my life.

I never studied under Dr. Kozak, but I've never forgotten his kind and supportive words when I was a young graduate student in the Pond...he was the first person to call me "Dr. Cumming", a few years before it was quite right. What he meant by that was, I should get out after my 3rd paper was submitted. This was was wise advice, that I ignored. I'm happy to contribute to a scholarship in his memory.

I came to UBC Forestry as an American citizen with no idea of what I was getting into. Tony was my major professor and, not only welcomed me, but made me feel accepted in this foreign (to me) country. He helped me in so many ways, professionally, personally and financially (by letting me run his computer data). He, Don Munro (also on my committee) and I shared season tickets to the Canucks. My biggest regret these days is that I didn't get a chance to see him again and tell him how influential he was on my life. Your are a good man, Tony!