Mr Henry Wai, Registrar
(Former Faculty Secretary)

Although I had the pleasure of Dr S.C. Fan's acquaintance for many years, it was not until 1981, when he took up the Deanship of the Faculty of Social Sciences that I got to know him well. He made quite a striking first impression being six feet tall, rather serious and speaking only Mandarin (the term "Putonghua" was not used during those days) and English. I have to admit that I found him a little frightening at first. But once I got to know him I discovered that his character was quite contrary to his appearance. He was very kind, careful and meticulous in his work. As a statistician he had a great aptitude for mathematics, which came in useful in balancing budgets! Although he was firm he was never bad tempered, he never raised his voice and always dealt with people diplomatically. I was frequently impressed by the way in which he used negotiation and consultation - and a little compromise - in dealing with the Faculty's professors. He was, I would say, the perfect gentleman.

He was also a family man and often talked of his children - his son, who was studying medicine at Cambridge and his daughters who were studying medicine and law at HKU during the time of his Deanship. He had some very interesting theories on how to educate kids and I was very interested in them as I was having my first kid at that time. His thoughtful words have indeed been very valuable to my wife and I over the years.

Although Dr Fan is no longer with us, his memory continues to inspire those who knew him.

John Aitchison, Emeritus Professor
(Colleague)

There are not enough good adjectives to describe S.C.. In academic matters, both at Departmental and Faculty level, wise and considered in his judgment, a good friend and counsellor of students, generous in his personal relationships, willing to advise where problems required resolving, a husband and father, proud of his family. It was a privilege to know and work with this gentle man, this gentleman.

Dr S M Shen, Deputy Director of SPACE
(Former Dean : 1996 - 1999)

Dr S.C. Fan was a highly responsible Dean and a fatherly figure who cared very much for colleagues. For some years, my office was next to S.C.'s and I found that he spoke mostly gently and he always kept spare umbrellas in his office for colleagues and students in case of rainy days.

Professor Geoffrey Blowers
(Acting Dean [2005–2006], Associate Dean [2004–2005] [2006–present])
(Student)

As a struggling graduate student in the early seventies, I counted myself very fortunate to have come under the scrutiny of S.C. Fan. He was the perfect example of the rare kind of senior academic that used to populate universities unhurried, kind, sagacious yet supportive of junior colleagues keen to move ahead -- and he played an almost paternal role on my career development at HKU throughout the seventies and early eighties.

When I successfully obtained an assistant lectureship and a year later a lectureship, he was on both boards of selection, and on both occasions asked in his almost playful way the kinds of question that helped a nervous applicant over his word swallowing, faltering defence of limited achievements. Many years later he supported my promotion to Senior Lecturer with a similar openness of heart. I could never fully repay the debt I owed him for his trust and confidence in me. My weak efforts to do so by serving on the Faculty Review Committee (which he chaired with considerable aplomb and consideration for those hapless, failed undergraduates who came before it) were hardly adequate compensation.

In later years after his retirement, I would often see him walking across Spanish steps to the library and now regret I did not seize the chance to thank him as I should. It was nonetheless a great honour to have known him, as a student, a teacher and as a colleague.