Burton Randol, long a resident of the Bronxville area, passed away on Tuesday, June 22, at the age of 83 after a long period of illness. Born in New York City, he trained as a mathematician at Rice University and Princeton, where he received his PhD. He taught at Princeton, Yale and as Full Professor at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. After his retirement from the Graduate Center, he continued to do mathematics and to assist former students to complete their studies and to find or improve their job standing. Burton was an advanced amateur photographer as well as an enthusiastic golfer. He leaves his wife Jamie Dancer Randol and nephews Benjamin Randol, Jeremy Randol, Andrew Plagens and Gordon Plagens and niece Heather Plagens Rogers.
Calling Hours: 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 pm, Friday, June 25, 2021
Service and interment private
Condolences(17)-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Previous Crisci, Frank
Next Jaidi, Maria-Luisa Estrella
heather rogers says
June 23, 2021 at 5:27 pmWill miss you Uncle Buton
Julie A Plagens says
June 23, 2021 at 5:44 pmWe have wonderful memories of Uncle Burton. He was such a good storyteller. He could talk about any subject with great knowledge and passion. He especially loved photography. In fact, he took some wonderful pictures of our kids and sent them home with us. We framed them. He was an amazing man. We will truly miss his wisdom, love, and kindness to us all.
Martin Moskowitz says
June 24, 2021 at 9:25 amI met Burton in September 1969 when we were both hired as untenured Associate Professors at the Math Department of the City University of NY Graduate Center. We soon became good colleagues and friends. When I was first interviewed by Eldon Dyer, the Chair, and was asked “how much would it take to get me to come to the GC”? I took a deep breath and said 15K. Eldon replied he couldn’t pay 15, but would I accept 17? Later I learned that was because Burton was hired at 17K the week before!
We both rose through the ranks together and became full Professors in the mid seventies. I will warmly remember our many lively discussions, both mathematical and otherwise. He will be missed.
Herve M Jacquet says
June 24, 2021 at 1:20 pmBurton was an excellent academic colleague and also a man of great wisdom who gave excellent advice on all kinds of difficult situations (how to change a tire, which hospital should my injured wife go, how to negotiate a job offer …..) We will miss his wisdom
and kindness.
Thea Pignataro says
June 24, 2021 at 2:16 pmBurton was a friend, a mentor, a co-author, and an outstanding colleague. He introduced me to TeX and we talked not only about math but plumbing, tools, dogs, medicine, golf, and more. He was an invaluable resource when one of my dogs was being treated for lymphoma. I have fond memories of spending time with him and Jamie. I send her my deepest condolences. She was stalwart in her caring for him during these difficult last months. He will be sorely missed.
Alvany Rocha says
June 24, 2021 at 5:06 pmBurt had so many talents and interests, which he continued to perfect to remarkable levels throughout his life. He excelled in theory and in practice, could appreciate an elegant proof, recite a poem and fix things around the office. He was engaging, cultivated, a great listener and supporting colleague and friend.
Tina and I send Jamie our heartfelt condolences.
Clare Dyer says
June 24, 2021 at 9:16 pmI got to know Burton and Jamie through my father and stepmother, Eldon and Joan Dyer. My father genuinely enjoyed Burton’s company and the two of them spent a lot of time together visiting, often on the golf course. A few days before my father’s death, Burton came over to keep me company and to tell me some touching and humorous stories about my father – Burton’s kindness that day meant so much to me and is something I have never forgotten.
In the many years since, Jamie, Burton, Joan and I would often get together when I was in NYC. Burton was a kind and generous man and will be missed. Jamie, he couldn’t have had a more loving and caring soulmate. Please take care.
John Adamski says
June 24, 2021 at 11:04 pmI met Professor Randol when I was a PhD student at the Graduate Center. One time I was struggling with a problem while studying for a qualifying exam. I had filled several blackboards in the department lounge with my thoughts, but I was doubting myself and my abilities. When he saw my work, he got interested and we started talking. We talked for a long time. He was so humble and gracious in the way he made me feel like I belonged in the program. It really meant a lot to me that he took the time to help me out, and even sent me some after-thoughts in an email. Rest In Peace, Professor Randol.
Linda Keen says
June 25, 2021 at 12:10 pmI first met Burt Randol when he was at Yale and I visited one of his colleagues. We became colleagues at CUNY when he arrived in 1969 and remained so until his retirement. Burt was always interested in people, and knowing what they were about. He cared a great deal about all the students in the program. He was good at lots of things besides math like photography and plumbing. He knew a lot about music, art and literature. His interest and concern for the program continued after his retirement until his last illness. He has been missed.
My sincerest condolences to Jamie.
Daphne Anshel says
June 26, 2021 at 8:02 amDear Jamie – I am so very sorry for your loss and will be thinking of you and Burton every day. You and Burton have been the aunt and uncle Iris and I never had the chance to have in our lives ….I will miss Burton’s caring and love for the beautiful and precise in the world – I wish I could have many more moments in his presence to look at his photography with him and steep in his wider lense on what is worthwhile to experience in this world of ours …he will be so deeply missed by our family.
Yunping Jiang says
June 27, 2021 at 10:50 pmBurton was among the first few people I met when I came to the CUNY Graduate Center as a Ph.D. student in September 1985. He introduced me to many aspects of New York City. Burton was few people in the math department who knew the UNIX system in the 1980s, so I asked him a lot about the UNIX system when I had problems. He was an excellent teacher and mentor. When I joined the CUNY Graduate Center as a faculty member in the 1990s, our offices were next. He often came over to talk jokes, discussed mathematics, and show his new photographs. When we met at the CUNY Graduate Center after his retirement, Burton told me his retirement life and gave his advice on how to prepare for retirement, even though I haven’t thought about my retirement yet that time. He was an excellent colleague. He will be sorely missed.
Isaac Chavel says
July 1, 2021 at 4:43 pmWhen I was hired as Assistant Professor at City College back in 1970, I attended the seminars and other activities in mathematics at the Graduate Center, where I was befriended by Burt and others. He only worked on problems that to him were of significant challenge; he would always quote the great mathematician C.F. Gauss to the effect of, “Few but good,” as to his choices of research projects. Of all the mathematicians I knew, he had the highest sense of elegance – whether in the choice of problems he worked on or in exposition of their solution. And this extended to all his teaching, as well. Our areas of research had some overlap, so I benefited from his ideas and encouragement through the years, as well.
My wife, Arlene, and I recall with great fondness the time we spent together with Jamie and Burt at a conference in Hawaii, back in the ’80s. Our deepest condolences to Jamie.
Jozef Dodziuk says
July 5, 2021 at 3:53 pmI first met Burton in 1979, one year before I came to CUNY. Together with other colleagues at the Graduate Center and CUNY in general he welcomed me with open arms. Over the years, I benefited enormously from his friendship, his mathematics and his advice about navigating the maze
of CUNY. I miss him sorely. My deepest condolences to Jamie.
Juliette Kennedy says
July 6, 2021 at 1:37 pmJouko and I are thinking of you Jamie and sending you all our love. I remember Burt in many ways, but one thing that stands out is his great aesthetic judgement. To me he was one of the great aesthetes. Whether it was art or food or music or mathematics, or even fashion, Burt’s taste was always preeminent. A unique and wonderful man.
Daniella Bak Shnaps says
July 12, 2021 at 7:55 amDr. Randol was my Professor for Real Analysis when I was a first year doctoral student. He was a great teacher and also very kind, for both reasons I asked him to serve on my doctoral committee as well. Condolences to his family on this great loss
Brooke Orosz says
July 12, 2021 at 10:02 amI’m sorry to hear of the loss of Dr, Randol, I took several classes with him during my doctoral program and found him to be a wonderful professor.
Maria Belianina says
July 13, 2021 at 9:46 pmIt will be 30 years soon since I have stepped into the Bryant Park CUNY building. The Graduate Center Math quickly became home away from home for me, an immigrant kid learning about the world. I am so very grateful to my professors and advisors Michael Anshel, Józef Dodziuk and Burton Randol for providing welcoming, creative and encouraging atmosphere for all our scientific endeavors and crazy ideas, while also being there for us with a wise advice or moral support in challenging times.
Professor Burton Randol, besides being a great teacher, exemplified what we Russians call the finest Intelligentsia – kind, wise and generous, with so many interests and talents, great sensitivity to arts and culture, always interested in everything and everybody. We didn’t talk often over the past years but it was always so great to catch up, get his wise historic perspective on the world and cultural affairs, and just to chat about mundane things. It was so important to know that he was there.
I’m sending kind regards and deep condolences to Mrs Randol (who’s beautiful portrait was on the wall in Prof Randol’s office) and the rest of the family.
Fred H McGrath & Son, Inc. is a third generation; family owned and operated Funeral Home. Located in the Village of Bronxville, the McGrath family has been serving the surrounding communities of Bronxville, Eastchester, Tuckahoe, Mt. Vernon, Yonkers and Scarsdale since 1918.
Location
20 Cedar Street
Bronxville, NY 10708
Phone: (914) 337-6770
Fax: (914) 337-8055
E-Mail: info@mcgrathandson.com
Copyright © Fred H. McGrath & Son Funeral Home, Inc | www.mcgrathandson.com | 20 Cedar Street - Bronxville, NY - 10708 | 914-337-6770 | Send us an Email
Designed & Developed by: E-Wiz Solutions, Inc.