It is with great sadness that we announce the untimely and sudden death of a true friend and colleague, Professor Deon Bezuidenhout on April 16, 2023. Deon was a kind-hearted soul with great empathy for all and with a true desire to encourage and facilitate research, collaboration and, above all, furtherment of his students and staff. Deon was not only a ground leader in Polymer Science in the field of Cardiovascular Medicine, but also founding member and CSO of Strait Access Technologies, as well as serving on countless Faculty Committees. He will be sadly missed by all.