Obituary Notice – Luís Santos

Luís Manuel Basílio dos Santos, born in Lisbon on 8 August 1966, passed away at the age of 59.

He joined our Educational Project on 1 October 2000 and had been a member of our institution for almost 26 years.

In recognition of this milestone, on 23 April 2026 he was awarded the commemorative medal marking 25 years of service to COFAC and Universidade Lusófona. He joined the institution after completing his Bachelor's degree in Communication and Cultural Sciences at Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias (ULHT) in March 2000. Later, during the 2004/2005 academic year, he enrolled on a Master's programme in the same field, which he ultimately did not complete.

Although he taught between the 2004/2005 and 2006/2007 academic years, it was in the Audiovisual area that he built the greater part of his career at the University. He worked as an Audiovisual Technician within the Marketing and Communications Department from the time he joined the institution until the present day.

He was recognised as a kind and approachable person, always committed to his professional responsibilities. His line manager, Dr Filipe Vale, describes him as "a dedicated colleague, an outstanding professional and, above all, a person with a generous heart. Over the course of two decades, his work in the Audiovisual Equipment Store was fundamental to the development and growth of the Department of Cinema and Media Arts." He further adds that "as a central figure in all our activities, Luís leaves behind a legacy that will be difficult to match among colleagues, academic staff and students — and especially among the student assistants who worked alongside him in the equipment store over the years."

With his passing, our Educational Project has suffered the sudden and painful loss of one of the longest-serving members of the Marketing and Communications Department, whose dedication and sense of purpose were exemplary. This immeasurable loss will be deeply felt not only by those who worked alongside him every day, but also by the entire professional services community — technicians, administrative staff and support staff — who had the privilege of knowing him.

There are exceptional people whose way of being inspires others to become better, both personally and professionally. Luís Santos was one of those people and played a decisive role in helping to build "a better future".

May he rest in peace.

Lisbon, 14 July 2026.

On behalf of the Board of Directors
Professor Manuel de Almeida Damásio

The Department of Cinema and Media Arts and ECATI – School of Communication, Architecture, Arts and Information Technologies wish to inform all members of our academic community of the unexpected passing of our colleague, Luís Santos.

At this time of grief and sorrow, we extend our deepest condolences to Luís's family and friends.

Luís had recently been awarded a medal in recognition of his more than twenty years of dedicated service to Universidade Lusófona and to its students and academic staff.

His enthusiasm and commitment throughout those twenty years will always be remembered and deserve our deepest appreciation and gratitude.

Luís will remain forever in our memories.