A stellar mind leaves this planet

My wife and I met Hans Bethe briefly about 12 years ago, at a two-day symposium at Cornell University celebrating Carl Sagan's 60th birthday. We were both struck by just what a sweet, quiet delightful and unassuming man he was -- a real mensch, as they say. I was greatly saddened to hear of his passing today at the age of 98. A nice obit from the New York Times is here.
Among other things, Bethe was one of the key people in figuring out the nuclear processes that power the stars.

Hans Bethe