Death of gentle giant

Sadly missed: Professor Lafras Steyn's death has shocked staff and students.

UCT is still reeling in shock after the death of Professor Lafras Steyn, head of the department of clinical laboratory sciences and of the division of medical microbiology in the Faculty of Health Sciences.

A well-loved and respected colleague, teacher, mentor, comrade and friend, Steyn died on Monday, 4 February.

Steyn was a principal investigator for the Mycobacterial Studies Group at the Institute for Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine.

For his immense contribution to research in the health sciences, UCT honoured him with a Festschrift last year.

Profesor Marian Jacobs, dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, said the "gentle giant" will be sadly missed, and "our thoughts are with the family, his nearest and dearest at this sad time".

A memorial service for him was held at on 6 February in the Barnard Fuller building in the faculty.