To Dmitri's family and friends: please accept my most heartfelt condolences on the loss of Dmitri. I just learned of his passing today, as I was looking up some of the research he published. Dmitri was a prodigious scholar, with an extraordinary mind and a wonderful smile. I first learn of his work in the late 90's, when I was looking for tests of linkage disequilibrium. I came across his dissertation, and as I read it, I was amazed not only by the depth of Dmitri's scholarship, but also by how easy it was to read. I had a number of interactions with Dmitri over the years, and he was always gracious and friendly. I am deeply saddened by his loss. Again, my sincerest condolences to Dmitri's family and friends.

Dmitri was one of my best friends during my PhD studies at the Department of Statistics, NCSU, Raleigh, from 1995-2000.  Svetlana, I wish you and your son all the best in this world.
I have great memories of Dmitri, helping me with C++ programs, showing me how much better it was then SAS Data Step, working out at the NC State Gym, having some Vodka at the anual beach trip...
Only today march, 11, 2022 I learned about his death.


My sincerest condolences to his family. I am still at disbelief by the news. Dmitri was one of the best bosses and mentors I have had, it was a privilege. Having gone into the interview for the Summer internship thinking getting the job was a long shot, I remember feeling relieved about his laid back nature. "Can you code in R? Do you know Bayes Rule? Yes? You're hired," followed by some friendly chitchat. Even though I was several years less experienced than him, I remember the great back and forth conversations at the whiteboard and the couple of "aha!" moments when he or I would power walk over to each other's desk to share our finding. 

Thanks, Dmitri, for giving the young me a chance, the sage advice, the stories you shared, and for helping instill in me an enthusiasm about our field.

I am so sorry to learn of Dmitri's passing.  I didn't know him well, but his office was next to mine until I left NIEHS.  He was just so nice and smart and friendly.  It's such a loss.  My heart goes out to you.

Jane Hoppin

I am deeply saddened by Dmitri's sudden passing.  We were colleagues for over 15 years in the Biostatistics and Computational Biology Branch at NIEHS.  During this time, we had numerous discussions on the work he was doing. He always came up with very clever, ingenious proofs and arguments for his theorems.  He was brilliant, but extremely modest and humble.  He was one of those people who would rather not be in the limelight. Very unassuming. He was always very soft spoken and gentle. 

My sympathies to his family and friends. He will be greatly missed by everyone.  

Sincerely,

Shyamal

Dmitri was a brilliant scientist and colleague.   He will be greatly missed by everyone at NIEHS.  My deepest sympathies to his family and friends.  May he rest in peace.

We were young and the world was full of possibilities when we met online in the old  days of  the Internet, before the Web, before Facebook and social media. The outlet that we met on was called USENET and a bunch of students and Internet enthusiasts used it to exchange ideas, shared their poems and prose, fought trolls and admired each other.
Dima was one of the most interesting, most enigmatic characters of the bunch. I discovered that he was living close by and soon, we met in person, and we became good friends.
From the beginning, he struck me as a deeply passionate person, who dedicates himself absolutely to whatever he is passionate about, being that his work, his love of classical music, even his workouts and health regiments. In addition to his extraordinary intellect, original ideas and polymath-like knowledge, he was a profoundly humble man, with ambitions in science (but not in power), with a quirky sense of humor and a shy smile or occasional, his typical chuckle. 
I am so devastated that he is gone, it took me this long to come to grips with this fact. I was hoping against all odds that it would turn out to be one of the elaborate pranks that we used to tease each other with in the old days. Unfortunately, this is not the case. He is gone.
Sveta - he will forever be in my heart. We love you.

Just recently, on December 14, I sent a letter to Dima (Dmitri) asking him to clarify some aspects of his brilliant (among his many other invaluable achievements) work and a program for calculating predictive intervals for p-values.
It's an awful pity. Many years ago, he was a guest at our home. A truly irreplaceable loss. I did not know his family but would like to tell them that we will remember Dmitri for the rest of our lives. He was an extremely talented scientist with a very clear mind. All his mathematical calculations were available to the understanding of a non-specialist. Many of his works are of ever lasting value.
I am writing this, and I still cannot come to my senses. 
May his soul rest in peace.
Nikita Khromov-Borisov
Saint Petersburg, Russia.

In Russian:
Совсем недавно, 14 декабря я послал Диме  письмо с просьбой уточнить некоторые моменты его блестящей (среди многих других его бесценных достижений) работы и программы для вычисления предсказательных интервалов для р-значений.
Ужасно жаль. Много лет назад он был у нас в гостях дома. Воистину невосполнимая утрата. Я не знал его родных, но хочу передать им, что мы будем его помнить до конца свой жизни. На редкость талантливый был ученый с очень ясным умом. Все его математические выкладки были доступны пониманию простого смертного. Очень многие его работы имеют непреходящую ценность.
Вот пишу это, и все еще не могу прийти в себя. 
Мир его душе. 
Никита Хромов-Борисов
Санкт-Петербург, Россия


Dear Svetlana and Roman,

Please, receive these words of sympathy and sorrow.

It is with heavy sadness in our hearts that we think about the unthinkable – Dmitri’s sudden passing.  We both loved him and enjoyed his company.  He was always welcome guest in our house and very pleasant member in any group of friends in which we got a lucky chance to celebrate together.  He had a talent of being humble and mostly silent and, at the same time, one of the emotional and intellectual centers in every group.  This was a true charisma.  We catch ourselves in talking, arguing discussing with Dmitri in our minds even after he is gone.

I (Mitya) met Dmitri first professionally at NIEHS and I was stunned by his deep knowledge and understanding of extremely fluid and poorly defined scientific matters related to probability.  I was then surprised to learn that a while ago Dmitri had resolved one of the most challenging statistical problems - combining probability estimates into a single probability.  I was even more amazed when he explained it to me in terms that make this solution understandable to a naive amateur.  This was a high art of “simple truth” not to be miscalled naiveté.  Since then there were many wonderful moments of scientific discussions and developments of project which regretfully cannot be carried where his soul is travelling now.

Dmitri’s memory will stay with friends, colleagues, readers of his wonderful and insightful works.
May his soul rest in peace.  

Olga Kozyreva and Mitya Gordenin 


Dmitri worked for GlaxoSmithKline early in his career.  He was very skilled at developing statistical techniques to address the practical problems that we encountered while employing methods for association studies.  He was the perfect addition to the small group of statistical geneticists who performed applied analyses and grappled with thorny interpretation problems.  In addition to his scientific contributions, his funny observations and dry sense of humor created a fun work environment as well.   I ran into Dmitri at the American Society of Human Genetics meeting in 2019 where we noted that we had sons of a similar age.  I will greatly miss Dmitri.  

So sorry for hearing that Dmitri passed away. My deepest condolences to you and your family. May he rest in peace.

Dear Svetlana, I remember you and Dmitri from his days as a student under Bruce Weir. I was Bruce's secretary. When Bruce hosted events, you would come with Dmitri. My husband Tom remembers you both as well. You were memorable because of how much you both cared about each other. We're both so deeply saddened to hear of Dmitri's passing! He is an extraordinary person - brilliant, yet so humble, serious, yet he had a quick smile and wit! His light will be missed. May you and your son Roman know that our thoughts and our prayers surround you at this time.
Tom and Debbie Hibbard

Dear Svetlana and Roman,

I am so very sorry about the loss of Dmitri.  I have such fond memories of him working with him at GSK and am grateful I got to know him.  He was a delight to work with and always had a funny, witty and unique way of looking at things.  

My deepest condolences, Pam

Dear Svetlana,

Sending you and Roman wishes for strength in these very difficult times.

Dmitri and I did not communicate often but his friendship was understood and priceless, and will never be forgotten.

Maha

OBITUARY

Dmitri Vitalievich Zaykin

July 2, 1966 – December 28, 2020

Brown-Wynne Funeral Home & Crematory

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