On Monday 22 September, early morning, we received with enormous sadness a message that Hervé Genoud passed away after an eight-month battle with leukaemia at the age of just 32.

“Hervé s’est envolé vers la lumière,” wrote Mélissa, his wife, in her message. He sadly leaves behind his wife Mélissa and his two young children Maxence and Nathanaël.

Hervé joined the BE-OP group as operator on the PS in June 2006 where he quickly integrated and became a core member of the operations team. He did not limit his work to the PS, but was also very much appreciated for his roles in the LHC quench protection system and his outreach activities, such as the CERN open days and La nuit des chercheurs.

With this loss we not only lose a colleague, but also a good friend for many. We will never forget his enthusiasm, his jokes and his very positive approach, not only in his work, but also during his battle against his illness. When he felt able he regularly kept his direct colleagues and friends updated on his situation and used to sign his messages with “Hervé, Chasseur de Globules Blancs Merdique dans l'escadron Cortisone-Chimio”, indicating his determination to fight his disease and not losing his sense of humor.

We wish Mélissa, his children and family all the necessary strength to overcome this loss.

- His friends and colleagues

We deeply regret to announce the death of Hervé Genoud on 22 September 2014.

Hervé Genoud, who was born on 6 April 1982, worked in the BE Department and had been at CERN since 1 September 2003.

The Director-General has sent a message of condolence to his family on behalf of the CERN personnel.

- Social Affairs, Human Resources Department