[meteorite-list] In Memoriam Darryl Futrell

From: Norm Lehrman <nlehrman_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sun Aug 14 11:20:08 2005
Message-ID: <20050814152005.28802.qmail_at_web81003.mail.yahoo.com>

Bernd and all,

As you may know, I am acting as an agent for the
Futrell family in finding a new home for Darryl's
tektite collection. I am periodically in contact with
his daughter Kathy Lee, and have forwarded your email
to her. I am sure it will mean a lot to the family to
know that, while gone, he's not forgotten.

If any of the others of you have memories or thoughts
you would like forwarded, send them to me on or off
list as you see appropriate.

Regards,

Norm
(http://TektiteSource.com)

--- bernd.pauli_at_paulinet.de wrote:

> On Monday, August 13, 2001, our esteemed list member
> and tektite expert,
> D a r r y l F u t r e l l passed away after years
> of suffering But his
> love for tektites, and his enjoyment of this list
> "kept him going for over
> a year and a half as he suffered many things", wrote
> his daughter Kathy Lee
> Barrio to our list on Wednesday, August 15.
>
> I still miss him sorely,
>
> Bernd
>
>
> Excerpts from the Montebello News, Vol. 70, No. 112,
> Sunday, March 3, 1985:
>
> He follows science's rocky road to moon (by Mary Ann
> Bolyea)
>
> When he was 6, Darryl Futrell had a dream. He was
> walking down the southside
> of Whittier Boulevard east of Goodrich, past what
> was then a giant vacant lot
> when he saw the page of a newspaper blowing along
> the ground. He stooped to
> pick it up, and it began putting him toward the
> moon, and the moon kept getting
> bigger and bigger and ... He woke up.
>
> Could the nightmare have been prophetic? Did it
> indicate even then that Futrell's
> future would revolve around newspapers and the moon?
> Certainly, in a sense, that's
> what happened.
>
> .. he's been intent on verifying a theory that is
> moon-focused: he wants to help
> prove that tektites - natural glass stones that are
> found in some geographical areas,
> but nowhere else - come from silicic volcanic
> eruptions on the moon.
>
> If you're not "into" geology like Futrell, the
> tektite question probably doesn't seem
> too earth-shaking, but in the scientific world it's
> a controversy that has been the
> subject of several books, more than 1,000
> dissertations (Futrell owns 500 of these),
> theses and many barbs.
>
> "With many, it's become an emotional issue," Futrell
> said, "just like a fanatic
> attachment to a certain make of automobile and their
> disdain for all others.
>
> Now, Futrell is not an official member of the world
> of geology. He holds no degree,
> he is not a professor, but he is an acknowledged
> expert on the subject of tektites,
> and owner of one of the top five or 10 tektite
> collections in the world.
>
> Anybody can hand you a bagful of tektites, but
> Darryl's first rate. He's an intelligent
> and fascinating person. When he gives you specimens
> they are carefully labeled
> and tell you what to look for. He's read and
> understands the literature.
>
> I saw him at a meeting at Alfred University in 1983
> at which he showed his specimens
> and it was a very impressive presentation. His
> collection is better than anything the
> Smithsonian has. A lot of people, including myself,
> owe a lot to Futrell.
>
> ______________________________________________
> Meteorite-list mailing list
> Meteorite-list_at_meteoritecentral.com
>
http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
>
Received on Sun 14 Aug 2005 11:20:05 AM PDT