Yesterday I went to Ashridge Business School where a group of Chris’s former students were graduating. I’d met them before during their AMSR programme (Ashridge Masters in Sustainability and Responsibility). They had invited me to join them after the ceremony as they gathered to plant a tree in her memory.
We stood in a circle on the lawn around a magnificent, new, 10 foot tall cherry tree as they paid tribute to their friend and teacher. It was a touching, poignant and private occasion so I won’t repeat what was said except to say that their love and respect for Chris shone through.
Their other act of remembrance had been to register a new official name for a hitherto unnamed star in the constellation of Ursa Major. Henceforth, the star with co-ordinates RA: 11h 3m 43.7s – DEC: 61° 45m 3.0s will be known by the name engraved on plaque in the photograph above:
The Playful She-Bear – Chris Seeley
The combination of the tree and the star brilliantly reflect Chris’s genius: there never was anyone whose feet were planted more firmly on the ground nor was there a teacher whose very being inspired us more to reach for the stars.
So, a huge thank you to all the members of AMSR 4 and to Chris Nichols – Chris’s friend, colleague, and Ashridge playmate – for remembering Chris so beautifully.
