Will never forget Erhan. What a kind and thoughtful person. Miss him.

Erhan and I had many conversations. Such an enjoyable person to be around. I will always miss him.

Erhan was such a wonderful, thoughtful person. Forever missed. 

I can never forget our adventures in Iraq during war years working together in a project. I was so saddened to hear about this unfortunate news few days ago. My deepest condolences to the family. 



I'am a very close friend of mr.ilksoy's niece Ebru.I know her for more then thirty years.I know their very beloved family relations .It is too sad to hear the sudden loss of a very good man,father, uncle, brother also who has a perfect personality, wisdom and care ...may he rest in peace and will always be remembered.

Erhan was a wonderful colleague of mine from 2007. He was very kind and caring towards everyone, specially his students. He was a remarkable professor and his students adored him and respected him a lot. 

He had a vast knowledge on so many things and not just thermal/fluid sciences. He was a highly valuable member of our college, with about 15 years of industrial experience and about 20 years of teaching experience. He will be deeply missed at KSU.

My husband  (who was a friend of him) and I will keep Erhan’s family in our thoughts and prayers. 

I was so sorry to learn the loss of Professor Erhan Ilksoy.  My deepest sympathy to Mrs. Ilksoy and her family.
Professor Ilksoy was very nice with a very warm heart. About one year ago,  I was assigned to teach "Heat Transfer", and I needed a  course syllabus for reference. After knowing my need, Professor Ilksoy sent me a very nice email and also attached his course syllabus to that email. That helped me a lot in my class preparation.
Professor Ilksoy will be remembered forever. 

Words are inadequate to express my sadness at the passing away of Erhan Ilksoy. Erhan was one of the most intellectual, caring, interesting, honest, kind, nature loving persons I have ever known. We met at a 29 October Turkish Republic Ball event and clicked right there and then. During our four years in Atlanta he and his family became true friends to us. We went on nature walks in state parks and the Chattahoochee river with our sons, attended state fairs, spent time in numerous Turkish parties together. Erhan was kind enough to introduce and welcome us to the Atlanta community at all times in their house and at every occasion.  When we were looking for a house in the Roswell area, Erhan and Nurcan went out of their way to show us around. Then, we had to leave Atlanta for Massachusetts. As we left and started another journey, we left friendships behind. But not Erhan and Nurcan.  It is rare to find such bonding and friendship especially later in life. With them whenever we saw and talked to them it was like we started right from where we left off. We were extremely happy when they came to Boston in May 2018 last spring. Erhan totally enjoyed his tour of MIT and we encouraged them again to move to the Northeast next to us. Last time we talked with Erhan was after his father’s passing away. As always, he was talking fondly of Korkuteli Antalya, and was saddened by his father’s passing away. However, this did not keep him from going into another intellectual conversation about climate change and how Korkuteli was relatively better than Antalya climate wise. I always totally enjoyed talking with him, his love for history, archeology and nature led to exciting conversations every time. He will be greatly missed and is truly an irreplaceable spirit. I wish his loving wife Nurcan and all his family patience from God. I have no doubt he is in a better place than this world, though this does not diminish my pain and sorrow. As they say in Turkish “burasi sozun bittigi yer.

I have known Erhan for 23 years. He was an incredible friend and a mentor. 

Once, we discussed a piece from a book by the renowned Oxford University biologist Richard Dawkins.  The paragraph goes like this:  “We are going to die, and that makes us the lucky ones. Most people are never going to die because they are never going to be born.” He knew that he was very lucky to be born and be alive. However, he never knew that he would have been so unlucky to leave us so soon.  

There are many things for which he would be remembered, but I will remember him for his love for nature, his curiosity and openness to discuss new ideas, and his strong desire for social justice.  

He was always ready to join his friends and family for hiking, biking, skiing, kayaking, rafting or swimming.  He always encouraged everyone to get out and move. 

He was truly a nature lover. He was the first among us to buy a hybrid car and then an electric car. He was always trying to convince his friends to do the same as he was worried about the climate change. 

He was good at starting conversations with strangers. I sometimes felt uncomfortable when I see him try to solve the world’s toughest challenges with a stranger who he just met. 

 Erhan, we will miss you. Thank you for being our friend. Your memories will be with us forever. As we fight our tears because you left us too soon, I want to take a moment and celebrate your life: How you always try to help us, your values, your contagious enthusiasm for life itself.  You were always ready to help and shared your experience to make the road smoother for everyone.  Wherever you are I am sure that you are now gathering data and will show us the way when we eventually join you. 

Prof. Ilksoy was a passionate and devoted teacher, he taught me Heat Transfer and Heat Transfer Lab. respectively. I enjoyed his practical approach to teaching, he was always willing to explain and also apply real world examples to drive home his points.

Indeed KSU lost a rare Professor, Rest in Peace Prof. Erhan Ilksoy.

#RIPProfIlksoy

Professor Ilksoy was a phenomenal instructor and you could see his passion in the subject that he taught. I remember being one of his students in thermodynamics and how he was as a professor. 

In a way, Mr. Ilksoy was like a father figure to his students. You could see that he cared for his student's success and that he would work tirelessly to help a student understand concepts that they were struggling to grasp. He was inspirational as well as motivational. For me, if it was anyone who I would have wanted to be my mentor and study under, it would have been him. 

It is unfortunate that we have lost him through this event. My condolences to his family. I am sorry and my heart breaks to hear this news.

I’m a student of Professor Ilksoy (Thermodynamics). He was so helpful, patient and passionate about teaching. He didn’t want you to approve a class, he wanted you to learn and understand so you can relate it to the real world. He wanted to pass on the experience that he had and was ready to help you in any situation. We are going to miss him.

May he Rest In Peace

Hello, I am a student of Dr. Ilksoy. I just wanted to say that he was a great man, professor, and professional. He was always willing and able to put another way in order to help us understand the material better. Through his tough grading I learned how to work harder for thorough understanding. That Energy Transfered (pun intended) into other areas of my life and for that I am grateful. I offer my condolences and best wishes to the family. May he rest in peace.

Professor Ilksoy was the greatest professor and mentor that I have ever had the pleasure to meet and be taught by. He will be greatly missed. Rest easy friend. 

Me and my husband are deeply saddened by Erhan’s loss.
 We met him at 29 October Reception only few years ago and kept in touch after that. We just spent wonderful time together the week before the accident. First we rode a bike and then had a nice and deep conversation about his future plans in Bodrum, planned hiking together, talked about music, arts and our kids. It was an honor to have known such a great person and we will truly miss him. 
May his soul rest in peace.

Being a struggling student the textbook wasn't bought for Professor Ilksoy's Thermodynamics course. After the first test he approached, asking if I was having trouble reading the charts and graphs since my grade was affected majorly on that portion. After explaining my situation he proceeded to print off any items needed for the exams and not only was a good grade achieved but so much was learned from this great mentor. His genuine care for those under his wing served as a reminder that wings are meant to lift you up which is what he did for all his students. This past year, my career as a professor brought me back into contact with one of my own favorite teachers. Last we spoke was as colleagues but Professor Ilksoy will forever be that larger than life mentor who went the extra mile for a struggling student.

I was not just husband of his niece. He was like my big brother. He was an exeptional personality so an every occasion we  talk to him not only about family issues but also about scientific, politics, religious,  sports and  economics issues. He always opened new horizons for me. I believe that no one who knows him will forget. He is an irreplaceable person. We will love  until forever.  Rest in peace

My beloved friend Erhan,

I can still not believe that you are gone !

In a way, you are not gone, since I will always keep a fresh memory of you in my heart, as I did over so many years as we were apart and seldomly had a chance to meet.

You have been an exceptionally good and close friend over our common years at university, and remained.

It is not possible to describe you with a few words. However, it should not remain unmentioned that you have been a very honest and kind person, with a very helpful attitude to your environment, always with goodness in your heart. Your child side, your genuine interest and curiosity for the new, thirst for knowledge, your ability to observe things with open eyes and analyze can be stated as a few further colors of your rich personality.

My dear brother, what more shall I say ?
Can words ever express, what we feel in our helplessness ?
Rest in peace !
I will always miss you, and keep you in my heart.

Yours
Cemal

My husband and I met Erhan through his cousin Coskun Josh Caglar in Columbia, SC. We accumulated some good memories with him. Then everybody moved somewhere and we did not hear from each other for a long time. After so many years, he found us on Facebook and when I saw what a lovely wife and family he had, I was so happy for him. I got the news from Josh this morning and now I am lost for words. He was a wonderful, smart, witty, and a great person and I know that he will be missed very much by everybody, family, friends, students, and all. Allah sizlere sabirlar versin. Aci cok buyuk, bu gunlerde cok buyuk kuvvet versin. Basiniz sag olsun. May he rest in peace. Isiklar icinde uyusun Erhan. Ne kadar zor bunu soylemek, ama mecburum. Allah rahmet eylesin!

Shall I start that  my cousin Erhan was one of the smartest person I had known, shall I mention that his engineering technical knowledge was endless, shall I emphasize the fact that his vision for world affairs and historical culture was so deep and caring.  Yes all of the above made who Erhan was as well as his merciful heart that has touched everybody he had known..

Erhan and I had started our endeavor to come to the states from Turkey in early 80's when I started my undergraduate  and he started his graduate studies in engineering.  Although he was 7 years older than I was we became like very close friends being students away from the home country.  

Since then we shared a lot having great experiences together.  My first trip to Disney Land was with him.  I bought my first used and ugly car with him.  We made great close friends together. I always looked forward to go to visit him from Knoxville to Atlanta on a weekend because I enjoyed having conversations and deep discussions related to ranging from technical fields to world politics.  

Erhan was e person who read a lot and knew a-lot which  gave him spectrum of perspective that nobody I knew had in various subjects.  He never made impulsive decisions, he was always analytical in all of his thought processes resulting logical straight thru advices which always helped me in dealing with my own decisions.  

Yes beyond being my cousin he was my great friend whom I will cherish for the rest of my life.

I had several classes with Professor Ilksoy. He was a wonderful man, and a patient teacher. The world has definitely lost a good person. He will never be forgotten by those who knew him. May his soul forever rest in peace.

Canım Kardeşim
Beraber büyüdük ilkokul orta okul,lise,Üniversiteyi berber bitirdik Kerkük te beraber ilk işimize  başladık tam tamına 18 yıl yan yana her şeyi paylaştık .Daha sonra sen Amerika da bir hayata başladın ben Libya veTürkiyede yollarımıza devam ettik ancak hep irtibat halinde kaldık her Türkiyeye gelişinde buluştuk ve hep şunu söyledin biz aile bireylerimizden daha fazla seninle birlikte olduk derdin
Emeklilik günlerinde yine Antalyada beraber olacaktık 
Bu defa sözünü tutamadın
Olmadı Erhan Olmadı
Ben buna kader diyemiyorum
Seni kaybetmenin üzüntüsü o kadar büyük ki kelimeler yetersiz
Işıklar içinde uyu Canım Kardeşim


The staff of Roswell Funeral Home and Green Lawn Cemetery would like to extend our most sincere condolence to the Ilksoy Family. We would like to thank you for entrusting the care of your love one into our hands. Please remember you are not alone and we will always be here for you. 

I had the privilege to work directly with Professor Ilksoy.  The memory I would like to share is about his tremendous contribution to his students.  I was the Administrative Assistant in the Mechanical Engineering (ME) Department when we went up for accreditation for the first time.  I was tasked with taking the visitor from one location to the next.  One of those locations was when they were meeting with the ME students.   The students were commenting on how wonderful taking classes with Professor Ilksoy was because of his knowledge and experience which he freely shared with them.  It was great to be able to share what I heard with the Dean and the other department faculty and staff.  But when I reiterated the information to Professor Ilksoy he was smiling from ear to ear.  I say this to say, he will be sorely missed.  RIP!

It is evident that this will be a shock and tremendous loss for anyone who ever met Mr.Ilksoy. His passion for teaching was clear in every moment of any of his classes; from the beginning he was quick to announce that he was not a professor because of any other reason that for the students and their learning. Faculty have a great gap to fill when it comes to Erhan's teaching a style and passion for the classes that he taught. I was lucky to share only two semesters with him and during my years in school he was one of the professors that I met that genuinely cared, knowing he won't be able to fill classrooms with his teachings any longer creates great sorrow in our hearts. I can only hope that he felt the genuine care we all gave to his classes and teachings, and the favor he did many of us by enriching our lives and knowledge while creating such and amazing teaching environment for us to learn what he referred to "the most important Engineering topic... Thermodynamics/Heat Transfer."
 Thank you for always caring and being a good, honest, and passionate mentor/educator. 

Sevgili Erhan
Amerika’da geçirdiğim yirmi yıl boyunca önce Akif amcamın sonra benim ve en son sevgili eşim Altan’ın yakın Arkadaşı olarak hayatlarımıza sevginle dostluğunla insanlığınla dokundun.
İyiki seni tanıdık ve iyiki yakın dostumuzdun.
Bu ani gidişin hepimizi çok sarstı ve üzdü.
Allah sevgili Nurcana ve çocuklara gerçekten sabırlar versin.
Gittiğin yerde Akif amcamla Altanımla ve diğer sevdiklerinle buluştun
Seni hiçbir zaman unutmayacağız güzel insan...

I really enjoyed having him as a Professor for my Thermodynamics course. It was easy to tell that he really cared for what he did and his students. I was looking forward to having him again for the lab. He will be dearly missed. I hope you, his family, can be loved and encouraged during this tragic time. 

I had the pleasure of having Professor Ilksoy for Thermodynamics last semester. By the completion of the course, I found a deep respect for his teaching practices. I could feel that he truly cared for the quality of education his students were receiving. His legacy and memory will forever have an impact at KSU.

I only had the pleasure of being in one of professor Ilksoy's classes, but it was one of my favorite classes. Although I did not necessarily enjoy the topic of thermodynamics, his passion for teaching really made the difference. He was excited for his students to learn and thats something special. 
My last interaction with him was as professor Takes and I were walking to her lab two weeks ago. He caught up to us and excitedly told us  about his new office. He was a good man who impacted many stunts at KSU. He will be missed greatly.

He is gone. The light of our family. He once  told me that in old times uncles are considered as second fathers to their nieces and therefore I could consider him as such. So I did and he was much more than an uncle to me.
His death has left a huge void in my heart. I feel perished, bad, empty. Even though I will try to heal my wounds over time, I know that the void will never be filled ever again. His positivity, curiosity, kindness and wisdom along with all the great memories I have with him, will guide me through my life.

Even though I never had the pleasure to meet Mr. Ilksoy in person, I have always felt myself very close to him from the stories I've heard from his beloved niece Bengisu. I am deeply saddened with his untimely demise, my thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones.

Yıl 1991, Atlanta’ya geldim.  Hiç İngilizce bilmiyorum, kursa falan gidecek param da yok, Moralim bozuk, etrafımdaki bir çok kişi de “İngilizceyi biraz öğrenip gelmeliydin , çok zor burda kursa gitmeden öğrenmen” diyordu. Bende moral kalmamıştı; ben buraya niye geldim diye hayıflanırken bir gün Georgia Tech’in öğrencilerinin oturduğu Healey denen binanın önünde hafif sakallı bir adamla tanıştık: Erhan. Gayet sıcak bir gülümsemeyle hoşgeldin dedikten sonra “ Hiç moralini bozma, çalışırsan başarırsın. Bak benim eşim Nurcan da geldi dil bilmeden ama çok iyi öğrendi. Ama bu dili çok iyi öğrenmeye çalış, dili iyi bilirsen önün açılır yoksa hep ikinci sınıf kalırsın. Seni Nurcan’la tanıştırayım, geçici iş de buluruz sana”... Erhan’ın bu duygusal desteğinin benim için ne kadar önemli olduğunu, beni ne kadar yüreklendirdiğini  kendisine söyleyemedim hiç... 
Nur içinde uyu Erhan, sen bilmesen bile hayatına dokunduğun insanların yüreğinde hep yaşayacaksın.

Erhan's greeting of us with his big smile and hugs have always been reminiscent of the serene friendship we found in Atlanta. When we think of him, we think of his kindness, wisdom, and love. It is hard to believe that we'll not be hugged with his cheer in Atlanta again. 
Erhan, nurlar icinde uyu!

Nurcan, Sibel, and Deniz,  words fall short of expressing our sorrow. Our hearts are saddened by your loss. We will miss him, dearly!  
Sizlere Allah'tan sabirlar diliyoruz! 

Gulen & Rehim Kilic

I never got to properly thank Professor Ilksoy for all of his help through two semesters of Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer.  He always took time out of his evenings to help me and anyone else who was willing to stay after class hours to make sure we understood the course material.  I never got to properly thank him for all of his time and patience on those so many occasions.  He was a great professor, a selfless great man, and someone who cared greatly about the success of all of his students.  He will be sorely missed.  

Thank you for everything professor.

In our gatherings Erhan would come to me and ask me if I were going to greet him. That meant a lot to both of us. Ours was an argumentative relationship as though we both took a secret pleasure out of it. I knew there would always be a next time to begin again. But then I didn’t get that chance and no greetings nor any words of farewell passed between us. He was gone without any goodbyes. I now keep repeating those goodbyes in my head over and over, but this isn’t actually about the final goodbyes as it is about unspoken words of affection and admiration for a man who touched my life last 30 years. Yolun açık, mekanın cennet olsun Erhan!

       Degerli dostum, degerli Abim, degerli arkadasim Erhan Ilksoyu kaybetmenin derin uzuntusu icindeyim. 
       Kendisi ile cok fazla zaman gecirdigim icin kendimi sansli saymaktayim, bu surec icerisinde kendisinden cok fazla sey ogrendim ve her zaman yaninmda olmasindan mutluluk duydum. 
       Kendisine allahtan rahmet ve esi Nurcan, kizi Sibel ve oglu Denize sabirlar diliyorum

Hoscakal guzel insan nurlar icinde uyu, seni hep ozleyecegim.



Mr. Ilksoy was one of the best professors I have ever had. I have never had someone help me understand material so quickly and with so much ease. Within the first few weeks I could tell how much passion he had for teaching and in his prior work experience. He cared about each of his students and would always make sure everyone understood before moving on to new material. He will be greatly missed and my condolences go to his family. 

I never had the pleasure of knowing Mr. Ilksoy personally, but I can attest to what a great man he was thanks to my beloved friendship with his incredible daughter Sibel and son Denis. Everyone who meets any member of the Ilksoy family loves them instantly. His brilliant, beautiful, charming, and loving children are a testament to his devotion as a father, and I feel some small relief knowing his legacy will live on forever because of the unbelievable things his amazing children will undoubtedly accomplish with their lives. 

This is a tremendous loss for anyone whose ever had the honor of meeting Mr.Ilksoy . I’ve had the pleasure of taking 3 of professor Ilksoy’s classes over 2 years ,  and he is undoubtably one of the most caring and hard working professors I have ever seen. At the beginning of every semester he always tells us he is not here for the money, but rather to make a difference in our lives. Every class period it was evident that he definitely meant what he said. I have learned a tremendous amount from him and he has definitely made a difference in my life . 
“Energy cannot be created nor destroyed” , this is something that he preached in his classes . 
He had ample amount of energy when he taught , and I believe that energy will always remain on KSU campus . 
Thank you professor ❤️. 

Dr. Ilksoy was one of my favorite professors, he helped me gain knowledge in thermodynamics. He was a kind gentle man and will be missed 

Erhan has always been a kind family man, who would go out of his way to help others. The memory that comes to mind is a manifestation of his absolute willingness to help and make arrangements for the comfort of people around him. 18 years ago, when we were driving to a reheardal dinner together, we were running late, and almost became desperate. Erhan was the one who hasn't lost his positive outlook, he had insisted that we took the shortcut, and we arrived practically, on time! Erhan could just sit and enjoy the ride, but ge chose to be helpful, to make things better for his cousins. We will always remember you with warmth and gratitude. Huzur içinde yatsın, Erhan!

My heart and thoughts are with professor Ilksoy's family and loved ones. He was a kind man, a remarkable professor and a brilliant engineer. He will be sorely missed at KSU. 

We're deeply saddened and shocked by the loss of our dear friend Prof. Erhan Ilksoy. It is inconceivable that Erhan will not be with us anymore in person. However, he will always be with us in spirit.

In addition to being a dedicated and loving husband and father, Erhan was a true friend to us and just a good hearted and giving person. We will always remember him with his good mood, smiles, and definitely his intellectual depth. He will be missed dearly.

We would like to extend our deepest condolences to Nurcan, Sibel, and Deniz and the greater Turkish-American community.

Sevgili dostumuz ve kardesimiz Erhan,

Rest In Peace.


First of all, I don't want to believe that he has passed away but he is still living for me in my memories as well as he was my relatives from Avdan Koyu, Korkuteli-Antalya, Turkey. I found many opportunities  talking about in some subjects and also one time I visit him and his family when I was a graduate student in USA and last time I paid a visit to his family when he was in Antalya. I am sending my condolences from the bottom of my heart to his wife and his son and daughter.  Erhan Abi I will miss you more than ever and may you rest in peace. Lutfullah Turkmen

I am very sorry for your loss. Please find strength in your family, friends, and worship. I want everyone to know that Professor Ilksoy was both teacher and mentor to his students and totally focused on their success. Students praised his teaching in both the classroom and the laboratory. Professor Ilksoy will always be remembered as part of mechanical engineering at KSU. We will miss him dearly.

Condolences on this tragic loss of beautiful life ...The Ilksoy’s family are my parent’s best friends in Roswell  . My son is good friends with Denis.  My parents live next door to the family  .

 His smile and laughter always warmed me when I would come up to visit . His love of life, family , friends and gift  of knowledge was incredible beyond words. He was a remarkable  humble man of accomplishment . He was very close to my parents and his wife and family have always been loving neighbors  . They have many fond wonderful memories .  We are deeply saddened and shocked with this tragic loss . 

Healing strength to his beautiful family we cherish . He was an incredible loving remarkable neighbor and will be missed dearly .... 
We are thankful and blessed to have known him and our hearts are very heavy at this time of grief. Please continue sharing his light of love .

You will always be in our hearts ! 

~Monica , Simon, Adriana and Stephan 

I'm so sorry for your loss. I worked with Prof. Ilksoy for years at SPSU/KSU. We always shared pleasantries. I never thought last week would be the last time. His students, the faculty, and staff will miss him dearly. May you find the strength and peace you will need during this difficult time.

With heartfelt condolences,
Cinthia Barnett, Office of the Dean

We are deeply saddened by the loss of our dear friend, Erhan Hoca as we'd like to call him out of respect for his endless knowledge on everything and many years of teaching.  He was a generous soul and a friend or a mentor to everyone around him...We will miss him dearly. Our thoughts and prayers are with Nurcan, Sibel, Deniz, and all of his loved ones at this very difficult time. 

Hoscakal Erhan Hoca, rest in piece...   

 Our dear friend,Dr. Erhan Ilksoy, we will miss him greatly.   However, his spirit will be with us always.

Erhan was absolutely beloved at KSU. We worked with Erhan since January 2010. We are so incredibly shocked and saddened by his death. He was so important to our Department, and we respected him so much.

But moreover, he was such a good friend. He was a sweet, kind man. He loved his students and colleagues so much, and they loved him too!

He spoke so lovingly about his family. It’s hard to comprehend your loss.

He will be tremendously missed.

Please let us know if you ever need anything… We will see you Thursday.

~ Laura & Rich

OBITUARY

Erhan Ilksoy

December 16, 1955 – September 20, 2019

Roswell Funeral Home & Green Lawn Cemetery & Mausoleum

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