Prof. Dr. Pavle Tomić – Corresponding Member (1948 – 2005)

A great and irretrievable loss befell the members of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Vojvodina and the science and profession of geography- inevitable death tore away from our ranks, far too soon, and at the pinnacle of his creative powers and will, a prominent scientific and educational worker, a man of brilliant spirit, Pavle Tomić, Corresponding Member of VANU. An untimely death prevented him accomplishing his productive and creative ideas, and placing yet more jewels in the tower of his great and renowned work, thus making it that more magnificent.

Prof. Dr.  Pavle Tomić, was born in Turija, on 17 August 1948. He graduated at the Faculty of Philosophy in Novi Sad, Geography Group. He obtained his master’s degree and his doctoral degree at the Faculty of Sciences in Belgrade. After completing his studies he began his employment as a Professor of Geography at the “Jovan Jovanović – Zmaj” high school. Two years later, he moves on to the Faculty of Sciences in Novi Sad, where he had been elected as Full Professor in 1992. He lectured in several subjects:

• General Economic Geography
• Historical Development of Geography
• Geographical Foundations of Environmental Protection
• Economic Geography
• Tourism and Environmental Protection
• World Economy and Tourism

He wrote a few university textbooks, and textbooks for primary and secondary education. In his total bibliographical listings Prof. Tomić has 230 units, of which 18 are textbooks, 78 encyclopedia author units, 106 scientific papers, 26 geographic monographs and many other works. Prof. Tomić is certainly one of the ranks of prominent scientific workers that achieved outstanding results in the development of geographical science and teaching. It is important to emphasize his enormous merits for the very successful development of the Institute, that is, the Department of  Geography, Tourism, and Hotel Management in Novi Sad, which he headed for almost a decade. He was the holder of many prestigious functions at the University, Faculty of Sciences, where he was a Dean during three terms of office, and numerous professional associations. He has started two scientific journals and one popular science magazine.

When the results that he had achieved in his scientific and educational work and teaching are all gathered together with his social and public activities, we are clearly faced with his overwhelming engagement and the fact that it long had been stretching the limits of endurance. After the reestablishment of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Vojvodina he was elected as Corresponding Member. Immediately, he was given the full trust of editing an important project of the Academy, the “Encyclopedia of Vojvodina”. Unfortunately, the Academy lost an esteemed member in its founding year, an outstanding scientist, an excellent and experienced organizer.

The life and work of Corresponding Member of the Academy inspires great respect and admiration in all of us. We say farewell to him, forever, but, he leaves behind a bright and indelible mark, and the honorable name of a committed scientific worker, successful university professor, pedagogue, and teacher, a giant of our geographical science. This great work will keep Prof. Tomić in our memories, forever. We wish him eternal glory and we express our deep gratitude to him.