It is really to put in words what Jeremy meant to me, as a colleague, a mentor, and dear friend. I miss him deeply.

Tu me manques Jeremy, et toutes nos conversations en français qui passaient de discussions scientifiques, à des thèmes personnels, puisque tu me demandais toujours comment j’allais. Et tu as été un soutien énorme.

I think I took Jeremy by surprise when I took the picture attached, when we went on a walk during a week day break, alongside the river, on a February day of 2021.

Please, accept my condolences.

Anne.

Dearest Jeremy,

BIO 3475…Chemical Ecology is where our paths first crossed in 2013. In all my years at university, few professors left an impression as profound as you. Your knowledge was vast, and your passion about insects/chemical ecology was boundless. You didn’t just teach; you challenged. Your midterms weren’t multiple-choice but a true measure of understanding, of grasping the intricate webs of nature you so masterfully unraveled using just slides full of pictures and your thoughts.

At first, I was intimidated by the depth of your knowledge, but behind that awe, I sensed a kindness and a warmth. When it came time to volunteer, your name was on the top of my list as being the mentor I hoped to learn from.

Our first meeting was almost a missed connection—you forgot my interview. I waited outside your office for an hour, until someone noticed and informed you that you had a loiterer. You called, your voice full of genuine apologies, the word “sorry” spilling from your lips at least ten times. And when we finally met, you playfully chided me for dropping your Insect Biology class, but you welcomed me into your lab nonetheless. Thus began my scientific journey with you in 2017/8, a journey that would become one of the most significant of my life.

I started with the Western Bean cutworm colony, a species you still cursed even after we killed the colony off (and probably still curse even now). You saw my worth before I did, guiding me with patience and trust. In time, I had the privilege to work with all the colonies… the indestructible armyworm, the cute little jumping spiders….even got a speeding ticket in the lab van collecting our stinkbugs. My favourite…having the privilege to study the monarch. Through it all, you cared deeply, not just for the research, but for your students and their personal lives. We cherished those moments in the lab, where hours were spent listening to your stories—snapshots of your life that we all clung to, each one a lesson, each one a gift.

Six years we spent together, years that shaped me into the person I am today. It was not always easy; your battles with illness were frequent over the last few years, but your spirit and stubbornness never wavered. You were a pillar of strength, a beacon of knowledge, a soul that touched so many lives, including mine.

You made a mark on science, on your students and on the world. And now, in your absence, life feels profoundly different. To be honest, I go to the lab at night/on the weekends trying to avoid as many people as possible because it hurts when everyone I run into tells me how highly you spoke of me and how much you appreciated me. Regardless, the legacy you left behind, the lessons, the laughter, the knowledge—these remain. I am honoured to have walked beside you, to have learned from you, to have called you my mentor, my boss and my friend.

You are missed beyond words, but your impact will live on, in me and in all those fortunate enough to have known you.

Whenever I have a glass of red wine, see a BUG or whenever someone uses an ellipsis… Ill think of you.

Thank you Jeremy

Your friend,

Erna

Jeremy was my great mentor and friend. We began our relationship in Quebec and carried out a major project here in Brazil. We have known each other for over 35 years, constantly exchanging ideas about chemical ecology. Jeremy was a great enthusiast and always worked for the scientific community, whether on editorial committees, the Academies of Sciences of the Americas, or writing about entomology for children. This moment was unfortunate for me, as our time together was incredibly productive and enriching. Nerilda and I will miss the oriental dinners and the long car trips to the Brazilian Pantanal or the Argentine Patagonia. We shared great moments with this friend—my condolences to the family.

Eraldo Lima

Full Professor - Entomology

Universidade Federal de Viçosa - Brasil

Jeremy helped us see the wonder of the natural world with new eyes. Loved his passion, sense of adventure and remarkable dedication to his role as teacher. Love you J will never forget you. (You will always be our Queen Bee).

Jeremy, « Mon ami » comme tu aimais si souvent le dire, nous sommes, moi et Yves-Line, profondément attristés par ton départ. Nos pensées et notre affection t’accompagnent face à ce long et nouveau voyage. Mes études graduées sous ta supervision furent des années captivantes et d’une belle richesse tant au niveau scientifique que personnel. J’ai acquis, tout comme pour bien de tes étudiants et étudiantes, la richesse contagieuse de tes connaissances, de ton dynamisme et de ton implication et engagement sans bornes face aux défis entomologiques et environnementaux. Nous continuerons de marcher sur tes pas…Amitié et salut « Mon ami » …

Raymond-Marie Duchesne et Yves-Line Tremblay

I had the honour to have Jeremy has a teacher at Laval and has the teacher who accompanied me and 11 other aspiring biologists to Africa in 1999. He largely contributed to the success of that adventure with his knowledge, his good humour and his multitude of stories and anecdotes. My condolences to the family. He will be missed by all who knew him.

Jeremy McNeil was an exceptional human being. I first met him in the mid 90s when he was interviewed for an endowed chair in entomology at UC Riverside. I was dean of the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the time so I interviewed the various candidates. Our paths didn’t cross again until the late 2000s when Jeremy became foreign secretary of the Royal Society of Canada and at the time I was foreign secretary of the US National Academy of Sciences. Jeremy and I became good friends as we collaborated in our joint academy roles. Together we were deeply involved in a global effort to enhance the role of science in addressing global challenges. The basic idea was to build the capabilities of science academies as instruments for advancing scientifically sound solutions to challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, water and other resource management problems, improving science education, and many other contemporary societal issues. Because most countries have science academies and the leadership of these national institutions often have access to high levels of government within their respective countries, a global network of science academies seemed a potentially powerful instrument of effecting global change. Later Jeremy and I worked together on building the Inter American Network of Academies of Science (IANAS), which was aimed at enhancing the influence of science academies in the American hemisphere. Those were heady days and I include a couple of pictures from that era.

Jeremy was a great guy and an enthusiastic partner in these international endeavors. He was not the typical academy leader. He often presented a kind of deshelled bad boy image frequently appearing at meetings in tie dyed tee shirts and with a scraggly beard, but he was respected and admired by his more conventional colleagues, owing to his enthusiasm and his commitment to our joint enterprise.

Jeremy was exceptionally diligent in his service to the scientific community and he set a high standard of performance. He was a very skilled writer and often took responsibility for writing tasks and he took considerable pride in his writing skills. Jeremy always contributed more than his share to our joint work. Even after he became ill with cancer, he continued to travel and contribute at considerable personal cost.

Jeremy had a sharp wit and an engaging personality and he was quick to make friends with those he encountered in new environments. Jeremy was a lot of fun to be around, but he combined a sense of fun with a powerful work ethic. He loved a good glass of wine (or two) and had, in his early life, been a wine broker. He was a wonderful conversationalist who often enlivened meetings with amusing stories. Jeremy contributed much to international scientific cooperation and by virtue of his human qualities and his dedication, he is leaving a better world behind.

Michael Clegg

Past foreign secretary, US national Academy of Sciences

Distinguished Professor emeritus, University of California, Irvine

Enjoying a glass of wine in Paris Outside Élysée Palace April 2011 after meeting with President Sarkozy

I hope Shelley and family will be able to treasure the delightful memories shared with Jeremy as I surely will. He was a fantastic guy, great scientist, and wonderful company with whom to share stories about nature, bugs, and colleagues. So sad not to foresee the next meeting to share with J. Love to you all.

When Jeremy asks you to “walk a mile in her shoes”, you do it. All I can think of are insects, red wine his fashion sense and his kindness.

Thanks for being you, and being entertaining! C&L xx