Michael “Miki” Neumann, head of the math department since 2003, died suddenly on April 21. He was 64.
Neumann was the Stuart and Joan Sidney Professor of Mathematics and Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor of Mathematics at UConn.
Born in Jerusalem, he earned his B.Sc. from Tel Aviv University in 1970 and his Ph.D. in computer science from London University in 1972. After teaching for a year at the University of Reading, England, from 1973 to 1975, he taught at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel. Subsequently, he taught for five years at the University of Nottingham in England, in its department of mathematics. In 1980, he came with his family to the United States, and taught for five years at the University of South Carolina.
Neumann joined the University of Connecticut as a full professor of mathematics in 1985. Over the years, he was advisor to nine Ph.D. students, all of whom went on to distinguished careers in mathematics.
Elected a member of the Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2007, Neumann was internationally known and recognized for his research in numerical linear algebra, matrix theory and linear algebra, and numerical analysis. He published more than 150 scholarly articles, co-authored a book in his field, and was working on another book at the time of his death.
Neumann was an active member of Beth David Synagogue in West Hartford. For the past 10 years, he rose at dawn to participate in daily Talmud study, and was a committed participant in the daily minyan. He also led the prayer for soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces every Shabbat.
He leaves his wife, Helen (MacGowan) Neumann; a son, Joseph M. Neumann, and his wife Rachel; a daughter, Rachel M. Neumann, and her husband Kuba Glazek; and a sister Orna Neumann.
Funeral services will be held today, Friday, April 22, at 1 p.m. in the Sanctuary of the Beth David Synagogue, 20 Dover Road, West Hartford. Interment will follow in the Beth David Synagogue Cemetery, 1361 Berlin Turnpike, Wethersfield.
The memorial period will be observed at the Neumann home beginning after the Passover holiday on Tuesday night. Memorial contributions may be made to Beth David Synagogue and the Friends of the Israel Defense Force. To sign the online guest book, please go to the Weinstein Mortuary website.
