[meteorite-list] Richard Norton memorial
From: Bob Holmes <beardownbob_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sat, 4 Jul 2009 17:14:28 -0700 Message-ID: <2bc48ad00907041714q2d213866tcf7e352665d34135_at_mail.gmail.com> I'm posting this on behalf of Dave Mouat. Dear Listees Last Sunday, I had the honor to pay tribute to a man I have known for more than a third of a century (that's right: over 33 years, I was a young Prof at the U of AZ and he was a young but slightly older person who was talking about the desirability of a planetarium at the UofA). I later found out that he was also a faculty (earlier) at the place I now work: the Desert Research Institute of the Nevada System of Higher Education. Quite a coincidence. The Memorial for Richard took place at the home of Dorothy Norton in Bend, Oregon, where they had lived for over 20 years (and a beautiful home it is). Dorothy had asked me to say something about Richard, the scientist and meteoriticist. I borrowed a couple of pieces from his collection and augmented them with some of my own. I added anecdotes about Richard's passion and dedication as a scientist (somewhat of a rarity as a lot of us plod through our work rather than tackle it with the fervor and enthusiasm of a post doc). I also mentioned how Richard had argued with the serious research community involved with meteorites that the hobby had added material for researchers not taken it away from them (of course, this is still a bit controversial). I mentioned the articles and explanations that Richard patiently gave us. There were no people at the Memorial who knew him as a scientist save for a neurologist, they were mostly music lovers, a side of Richard that most of the meteorite community was not aware, and the gathering was astounded to hear how we (and you) regarded him. I think the one thing that was so special was a book of contributions of special memories from you Listees that someone decided to print out on heavy paper as a lasting testiment for Dorothy to treasure and cherish. Even the gathering there was moved by the words that many of you wrote. I am honored and proud to be among you. In fond memory of Richard Dave Received on Sat 04 Jul 2009 08:14:28 PM PDT |
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