'Brilliant' Birmingham University student found dead
Mar 23 2010 by Alison Dayani, Birmingham Mail
A “BRILLIANT” Birmingham University student who “had a gift that everyone admired” has died suddenly aged just 19.
Lawrence Stirk was found on Sunday evening at his hall of residence in Pershore Road, Edgbaston.
Birmingham coroner Aidan Cotter has been informed and is due to investigate the circumstances.
West Midlands Police has launched an investigation but a spokesman said it was not treating Lawrence’s death as suspicious and officers were awaiting the results of a post mortem examination.
The astrophysics student, originally from Cannock and a former pupil at Great Wyrley Performing Arts High School, was known as a “whizz-kid” by friends, even tutoring fellow pupils in maths and fixing their laptops when they broke.
His grieving father Peter Stirk said: “Lawrence had a brilliant mind and took to any technology easily. He was a grade A student and a son loved deeply. The silence is now deafening.
“I always thought he was expected to do great things. Teachers at school would go to him for IT help. He wanted to be an astrophysicist or scientist and was interested in the creation of the universe.”
Mr Stirk, a dad-of-three and IT specialist, added: “He had an old head on young shoulders and was very caring. The gap he is leaving is as large as the voids we discussed.
