At dawn on the 1st Sunday of Advent, I received a message on my phone. Early morning messages rarely bring good news; their urgency often carries a hint of heaviness. It was a short, mediated note from Prof. Asmit Patel: On November 16, one remarkable life suddenly came to an end – Prof. Dr. Gerald Blunden passed away. Although daylight was just breaking, the room darkened for me and I began to remember. A few hours later, I received an extensive letter from Dr. Pawan Agrawal of the journal Natural Product Communications, confirming this painful fact.
I first met Gerald about thirty years ago, when he was Dean of the School of Medicine, Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences at the University of Portsmouth. Since then, our friendship steadily deepend. He and his wife Sylvia visited the Czech Republic far more often than we managed to visit Portsmouth. They both loved Prague and several other places, and we were always glad to act as their guides. Looking back, our relationship was both unconventional and wonderful. Gerald was not only an outstanding expert in pharmacognosy, but also a gifted organizer, communicator, and promoter of the field. His publications, conferences talks and personal discussions radiated an engaging enthusiasm for natural products – calm yet impossible to overlook – revealing broad knowledge and intellectual humility, and worthy of genuine admiration. This attitude came from his human qualities. Gerald was deeply empathetic, kind-hearted and inspiring, his cheerfulness was contagious The times we shared were uplifting and comforting, enriching not only my own work but also that of Prof. Lucie Cahlíková, who later joined our department and research group. His wisdom and gentle helpfulness brought clarity and calm in solving a number of common questions. He was tactful and able to express his disagreement persuasively yet always respectfully.
We treasure the rare moment when paths crossed. Such encounters are not part of everyday life, one must be grateful for them. I often told Gerald how thankful I was to fate for bringing us together, but true to his modest nature, he would simply gesture as if to say: why talk about it, it's natural. However I must say that it was not normal: to a certain extent, in many ways he helped shape the development of the ADINACO Research Group at the Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, focused on the isolation and biological activity of alkaloids tested in vitro for their potential against neurodegenerative diseases, especially Alzheimer’s. From this collaboration came several joint publications that we greatly value.
The founding of the journal Natural Product Communication, initiated and established by Gerald, reflected not only his expertise but also his extraordinary diligence and tenacity, with which he convinced many others of its worth. The journal introduced the “Gerald Blunden Award” for outstanding experimental and review articles. Throughout its history, he maintained an excellent partnership with Dr. Pawan Agrawal, whose professional cooperation with Gerald evolved into a deep human friendship — always a vital ingredient in meaningful work.
His organizational commitment extended even further: he became co-founder and president of the Natural Products Researchers Academy (NPRA), which serves the scientific community in conjunction with the journal Natural Products: Chemistry, Pharmacology and Nutrition (NPCPN), where Gerald was Honorary Editor. These institutions established the “NPRA Blunden Impact Award” to recognize and support exceptional research in natural products. Listing all his accomplishments would go far beyond this tribute; such institutions will themselves bear witness to his lasting contribution.
When I finished my active work in the management of the ADINACO Research Group at the Faculty of Pharmacy and retired, Professor Lucie Cahlíková, who had always shared a wonderful professional and personal rapport with Gerald, took over both the research group and the Department of Pharmacognosy and Pharmaceutical Botany. Their collaboration continued to thrive, driven by mutual enthusiasm – as was characteristic of both.
Kai kairós. It is time. A time to be born and a time to depart. Everything has its time. Each morning upon waking, I give silent thanks for another day of life, yet also recall a paraphrase of Scripture: Rest prepared, with your loins girded, your sandals upon your feet, and your staff in hand, ready to go forth when the Lord of the harvest calls you on your way. Although Gerald’s call came swiftly, I am certain he was prepared – that was his way. Along the journey toward our final goal, we leave behind what is superfluous, carrying into eternity only two things: wisdom and love. The Aramaic word for death means literally: not here – present elsewhere. Gerald has departed from this place, yet what he left behind remains and will continue to grow. That is wonderful and inspiring.
Requiescat in pace, Gerald!
Prof. RNDr. Lubomír Opletal, CSc.
Prof. Ing. Lucie Cahlíková, Ph.D.