Obituary: André Gac

André GAC has just passed away at the age of 98.

 

He was the director of the IIR from 1981 to 1991. Prior to this, he had successively been vice-chairman of two IIR commissions on refrigerated transport (1968-1972) and on thermodynamics and transfer processes (1972-1979), chairman of several working groups on methods for measuring the isothermal properties of transport boxes, on the land transport of perishable goods, on the thermophysical properties of refrigerants.

 

He was a member of the IIR Executive Committee from 1975 to 1981.

 

Previously, by virtue of his scientific and technical achievements, his publications, articles and books, at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) (1947-1952) and at the Centre Technique du Génie Rural, des Eaux et Forêts (1955-1975), where he was the founder of the laboratory that is now CEMAFROID, André GAC was granted the first prize of the International Institute of Refrigeration in 1963.

 

After working at the IIR, he remained active for thirteen years as an advisor to Transfrigoroute International. André GAC was a graduate of the Institut National Agronomique, the Ecole Nationale du Génie Rural and the Institut Français du Froid Industriel. He was a member of several French institutions and was president of the French Association of Refrigeration from 1977 to 1981. He was a professor at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Industries Alimentaires. In honour of his many accomplishments, France had awarded him several prizes.

 

André GAC has always been involved in the refrigeration sector, to which he devoted a large part of his life, until the very end.

He will be remembered as an engaging man, with a very pleasant and passionate personality.

 

The IIR would like to convey its condolences to his family.