Hayrettin Kardestuncer died November 29 at his home in Storrs after a lengthy illness. He was 71.

Born in Gemlik, Turkey, he had lived in Storrs since 1964. He was a graduate of the Turkish Naval Academy, received his master's degree in engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and his doctorate in mathematics from the Sorbonne, Paris. From 1964 until his retirement in 1985, he taught in the Department of Civil Engineering at UConn. In 1985, students at the University elected him one of their five favorite professors on campus.

He lectured widely, including in Europe, and in 1980-81 he was a special guest lecturer in China, where he was named an honorary professor.

He was author or editor of 13 books and textbooks, including Finite Element Handbook, published by McGraw Hill, and published numerous journal articles. He also organized an international conference on Unification of Finite Element Methods, held annually at the University for nearly a decade.

An active athlete, Kardestuncer ran in the New York Marathon, swam long distances and was an avid squash and tennis player.

Kardestuncer is survived by his wife, Ayla, three children and a daughter-in-law, and two brothers in Turkey.