Erica Heyl, former EMBL Grenoble Personnel Officer, passed away on Friday 6 December 2024.

It is with great sadness that we share the news of the loss of Erica Heyl. Erica was a Personnel Officer in the Miller Group at EMBL Grenoble from 1976 until 1989, and played a key role in the early development of EMBL’s operations in Grenoble. May she rest in peace.

Erica joined EMBL shortly after the Grenoble site was established, having previously worked at the neighbouring Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL). As EMBL Grenoble’s first dedicated administrator, she quickly became a cornerstone of the growing outstation. Andrew Miller, then Head of EMBL Grenoble, recalls: “Erica did a top class job running the administration in EMBL. She was utterly dependable and could interact readily with all of the staff in the lab. She was a help to everybody.”

Initially working part-time, Erica set up a lively and efficient office, handling the needs of a diverse, international team. “She was good at dealing with the staff and proved to be a reliable and effective administrator,” Andrew notes. “When I left five years later, Erica was still a top class administrator.”

Erica’s warmth and generosity extended well beyond her professional role. Stephen Cusack, who joined EMBL Grenoble in the early years, remembers how welcoming Erica was, both at work and outside it: “I am very grateful to Erica for helping me find my way in a new organisation, a new city and a new culture. She was always calm, friendly and helpful.”

Erica and her husband Claude regularly welcomed colleagues into their home, offering support, friendship, and a strong sense of community. Stephen recalls visits for tea and music, sharing chamber concerts and even performing together: “On one occasion I remember we played the Brandenburg Concerto No. 5. Erica and Claude proudly drove a Citroën 2CV which had a quaint bell that always told you when they were near.”

Though Erica left EMBL in the early 1990s and later moved away from Grenoble, she left a lasting impression on all who knew her. She will be remembered not only as a skilled and dependable colleague, but as a warm, cultured, and generous member of the EMBL community.

Andrew Miller (Head of EMBL Grenoble, 1975-1980) and Stephen Cusack (Head of EMBL Grenoble, 1977-2022)

Condolences

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