In Memoriam Gökçe Önal

24 January 1988 – 10 June 2025

It is with great sadness that we share the news of the sudden passing of our beloved PhD candidate, Gökçe Önal, on Tuesday, 10 June. Although Gökçe had been facing health challenges for some time, her passing came as a shock to all of us. While we are heartbroken by her loss, we wish to remember Gökçe for the remarkable person she was, and for the joy, care, and intelligence she brought into our lives—both professionally and personally. 

 In no particular order, we remember Gökçe as: a genuinely warm person; a dedicated scholar; a painter; an engaged (and often obsessive) reader; a cat lover and animal companion; a loving daughter and a cherished friend; a calm yet enthusiastic athlete; a summer soul who adored the Mediterranean; a researcher with endless curiosity; someone modest—sometimes unnecessarily so—but always kind, fair, and open; a B&T table tennis champion; and someone who belonged to the school of slow design—a quality that reflected her ‘care-full’ way of listening, speaking, and doing.

She was smart, deeply read, and, above all, empathetic. Mentioning a book, a comment, or an idea was often enough to spark an entire new line of readings and reflection. Her talent for words and lines was a joy to witness. Her last-minute edits in shared documents—her love of en dashes and her many “minor suggestions”—were full of care, humour, and precision.

Some of us had the chance to dream of a future life with Gökçe in it—a life that always felt easier and more meaningful with her around. She was a quiet builder, someone whose grounded intellectual depth brought lightness and depth in equal measure. Having her authentic presence and precious companionship by our side was a true privilege. Everything we shared with her—and all that we learned from her—now carries a kind of quiet radiance, reflecting her lasting capacity to show up, to support, and to care.

Gökçe will be deeply missed. Her light lives on—in our memories, our work, and in the ways we continue to care for one another.