Sad news that Hugh Mellor, the kindest and most loyal of friends, died this morning. I knew that he’d been having treatment for a lymphoma — but even so, this was unexpected. Somehow I thought Hugh would always be with us. Argumentative to the last (only a couple of weeks ago he was trying to get me to see the light about conditionals), he was the very model of a straight-talking, clear-thinking philosopher, who always did his readers and disputants the courtesy of making his positions and his arguments absolutely plain. And he had much more of a hinterland than most of us, with a particular love for the theatre (he was still acting until just three or four years ago). I’ll miss him a great deal.
Very sad. Apart from his clarity, brilliance and passion I enjoyed Hugh’s wicked sense of humour, especially when someone else was on the receiving end.
I am deeply saddened to hear Hugh’s passing. I first met him in 1981 at the University of Keele where I was reading a paper on the B-theory of time defending it against the charge of fatalism. Hugh had just published his book Real Time, and needless to say we hit it off immediately. I was my first international conference presentation and J.R. Lucas was pressing me on my defense and Hugh came to the rescue.
We corresponded often and he was instrumental in my appointment as a visiting Professor in Philosophy at the University of Cambridge in the fall 2001, and in visiting Fellow at Clare Hall. He was always supportive of my philosophical development and I benefited greatly by his comments on the papers I sent him. I add my name the the long list of people who will miss him.
There are so many philosophers who’ll have stories of Hugh’s warm support like this.
I first met Hugh about 55 years ago. He Has been a good friend ever since. I shall miss him.
Hugh had a great talent for friendship; yes, I’d known over fifty years too.