In Memory of Brian Doyle on his 61st Birthday
Brian James Doyle, the award-winning author and editor of Portland Magazine passed away this year on May 27, from complications related to a brain tumor [1, 2].
November 6, 2017 this month will mark Brian’s 61st birthday and sadly, this will be his first birthday without him. I constructed the following birthday brainteasers in his memory:
1. If numbers one to 26 are assigned to the letters of the English alphabet as A being one, B being two, C being three, etc., the sum of the numbers assigned to the letters of Brian’s last name Doyle equals 61.
2. 2017 is the 306th prime number where 306 equals twice 153. Coincidentally, the sum of the numbers assigned to the letters of Brian James Doyle equals 153 too.
3. The reverse of 2017, namely 7102, equals 2 x 53 x 67 where the sum of these three prime numbers equals 122 which is twice 61 (Doyle).
4. The digits of Brian’s 61st birthday expressed as 11/06/2017 add up to 18 where the 18th prime number is 61.
5. Note also that if Brian’s 61st birthday is expressed as 11/6/17, 17 equals 11 plus 6. In addition, the sum of the digits of 11/6/17 yields 16 which is the reverse of 61 (Doyle).
6. Furthermore, if 5272017, the day Brian died, is separated into its alternating digits as 221 and 5707, 221 is the reverse of 122 which is again twice 61. Moreover, 5707 equals 13 times 439 where the sum of these two numbers equals four times 113. Brian was born on the 311th day of 1956 where 311 is the reverse of 113.
7. Brian’s office at University of Portland was Waldschmidt Hall 339 where 339 equals three times 113.
8. Additionally, the sum of 3 and 113 equals 116, Brian’s birth date, 11/6.
9. Brian’s birth date written as 1106 equals 2 x 7 x 79 where these three numbers add up to twice 44 where 44 equals the sum of the numbers assigned to the letters of Brian.
10. If Brian’s birth date 11/06 is split as 11 and 06, the 6th and the 11th prime numbers are 13 and 31 respectively and their sum equals 44 (Brian).
11. Brian’s birthday number in any given year 20AB in this century can be found by adding the rightmost two digits of 20AB with 44 (Brian). For example, 2017 marks Brian’s 17 + 44 = 61st birthday.
12. If Brian’s birth date expressed as 11/6 is reversed yielding 611, 611 equals 13 times 47 where these two prime numbers add up to 60, the age Brian died.
13. Lastly, Brian died this year on 5/27 where 527 equals 17 times 31 where these two prime numbers add up to 48 (James).
We all miss your vibrant, passionate and friendly personality Brian. May God bless you and I hope you rest in peace.
[1] https://www.up.edu/news/2017/05/Brian-Doyle-passes-away.html
[2] http://www.upbeacon.com/article/2017/05/brian-doyle-dies-at-60
Aziz Inan is a professor of electrical engineering teaching at University of Portland and he can be reached at ainan@up.edu.
