TAC Remembrance Day?

[Mark Wagner]

Not really on topic, but not really off either.

I guess this came up in my head after the recent loss of the beloved TACo Rod Norden, and the reminiscences of his exuberance and humor.

Today would have been my daughter Mimi's 38th birthday.  She was an active near-fixture in TAC early on as an 8-14 year old, then thru her 20's at Lassen, SSP and GSSP.  Many of the long timers here remember her.

So, it occurred to me we might have something of a TAC Remembrance Day.  This group has now been active for around 30 years, people "come and go", and I'd love seeing something like this. Even once, if not in the future.

Who do I remember, and miss from the group?  And you, who do you miss/remember?  Feel like sharing great memories you have of a TACo now gone.  Please do.

I think a few of the really well known TACos who can be mentioned are Albert Highe, and James "Tips" Turley.  You could always find them at the center of astro-fun.

Albert was something of a design genius - a materials scientist by trade.  Many of his (and subsequently Michelle Stone's Plettstone) telescopes are around still, examples of elegant minimalism combined with outstanding performance.

Tips?  What can be said of James Turley other than the one guy you could depend on for a great story punctuated by listener's belly-laughs.  And keeper of Montebello TAC group permit for many years. Who know the story why he became called Tips?

Albert and James, still missed - but still here.

Others I'm regularly reminded of?

Bill Porte (Marsha's husband) - active member of the GSSP organizing committee.
Ken Archuletta (a friend of many at GSSP on Big Dob row).
Rich Gerard (the site of him at GSSP plucking hot dogs bare fingered out his pot of hot water for me, hilarious!) - another of the GSSP organizing committee.
Rachel Everitt (my daughter's dear companion in astronomy).
Jim Bartolini (The Shadow) - one of the earliest TACos.
The aforementioned Albert, Tips and Rod.
Other's I can't think of right now? I know there's more. Feel free.

If you have fun memories of past and now gone TACos, tell them here on this thread.  They can be "the ghosts in this machine".

Cherish your friends and treat them well.  Do more for others.  Life is short.  Happy "Remembrance Day".

-- 
Mark

[Richard Navarrete]

Can’t forget Alan Nelms! We even named a star party after him. 😊

Richard

Sent from the all new AOL app for iOS

--
Observing Sites, Observing Reports, About TAC linked at top of:
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/sf-bay-tac
 
Subscribers post to the mailing list at:
 
sf-ba...@googlegroups.com,
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The Astronomy Connection (TAC)" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to sf-bay-tac+...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sf-bay-tac/0e7bc54c-0170-47b6-b0f0-c53f63af47d7%40gmail.com.

[Mark Wagner]

That's a good one Richard.  After all, I have his 18"!

[Peter Santangeli]

Phil Chambers!

Great guy. Super interesting background having helped design the Polaris missile System.

Was happy to lend a hand fixing anything a Taco broke. If you were lucky you’d get invited over to his workshop, which was a miracle of packing cool stuff into a small space.

--

[Mark Wagner]

That's great Pete!  I remember Phil, when cell phone service was new and transceiver towers infrequent, pointing his SCT to toward SJ picking up signal to make phone calls from Henry Coe.  He was a true Mr. Fixit!  What a fun garage he had.

[Peter Natscher]

Mark, who was the doctor who you had for Mimi? He past away some time ago

[James Webster]

I remember Bill Cherington, as the most remarkable observer I have ever known. Without the aid of even a finderscope he could site down the tube of a large Dobsonian and find the most obscure object in the sky, even from an arcane catalog. He was old school. Totally without pretense. We observed together many times at the Fiddletown observatory. We also did some sidewalk astronomy which had its rewards. A group of us helped sell his and his late son Mark's astronomical equipment, which was a huge and remarkable collection.

Also remembered are John Dobson, remarkable, always entertaining and eccentric in the extreme. Mark Cherrington, Uncle Bill's son, Tony Burkhardt, Bill McClure, a long time friend, who piqued my interest in astronomy.

In loving remembrance of these comrades and their brave uplifting spirits.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sf-bay-tac/65f4e73e-b12b-4df5-b079-05a9fec28c88n%40googlegroups.com.

[Mark Wagner]

Peter N, that would be Dr. Robert Armstrong.  Infectious diseases specialist. How could I not include him?  He saved Mimi's life at age 15 and gave us 20 more years together.  Briefly:

I rushed Mimi to Good Sam ER unconscious, and the medical team could not understand why she was dying from organ failure.  They needed an infectious diseases doc and I blurted out "call Armstrong". He arrived, looked at me and asked why I was there.  I said "its Mimi".  He rushed by me, looked at her lips, touched her fingertips and said "I think I know what this is".  Sepsis, from a hygiene product - at the time termed "Toxic Shock Syndrome". Ten days later after Robert's care, she went home. Years later she'd marry and have two children.  Thanks to Robert.   Amazing the people you meet in our hobby.

Armstrong and TAC/astronomy. He a guiding light in local amateur astronomy and early TAC member.  On the SJAA board he was always the (only) cooler head, through solid logic and gentle oratory skill  he'd prevail and paint a Peaceful Kingdom.  A true giving soul who cared deeply for others, loved by everyone.  He was a regular at Lake San Antonio observing with his 20" Obsession, often accompanied by his friend Rob Hawley (current FPOA treasurer).  Robert took a bad fall one day, and that was that. So he opted out.

Once, on the SJAA board a president was too.... let call it "authoritarian".  And there began a quiet revolt.  After the resignation, Robert softly suggested we begin to give an "Icarus Award" (for those who tried flying to close to the sun).  Quiet humor.  Good to remember him, especially today.  Thanks Peter.

[Mark Wagner]

James - although Bill and John were not TACos, I do think somewhat of Mark and Tony as such.  They once showed up a week early at my house for a TAC full moon party. Hilarious!

They also would come to early CalStar parties at LSA.  The best view of M1 I've ever had was through Mark's 25".  Tendril City.

I was once on the phone with John Dobson.  I was inviting him to a Lassen Star Party.  Eccentric is a good term.  His response to the thought of observing downhill from a volcano succeeded in making my phone blush.

I also remember going to a talk by Dobson and Halton Arp at the SFAA in the Randall Museum, invited by Tony (who described himself as a Forrest Gump). 

What a lot of characters there are!

[Steve Gottlieb]

As far as GSSP participants, I’ll mention Andrew Bell, who passed away a few months after this photo was taken at GSSP in 2015 (he's on one knee). 

— Steve

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sf-bay-tac/CAK8zaTWBqPkT7kiSrwQ1jVQJgBvYNuO-BJaG5q9CBTVY5ZknOA%40mail.gmail.com.

[Richard Ozer]

Thank you Mark. I think of them all the time. Also, Jeff Gortatowsky, whose singular sarcastic wit never failed to have us rolling on the floor. 

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sf-bay-tac/D08A280E-41F4-4E4F-9F12-6A29242D16D7%40gmail.com.

[Akarsh Simha]

Oh yes, Jeff Gortatowsky for sure. I met him I think only once at GSSP. He certainly made an impression on me that one time and also over his TAC emails. I also remember I once ate on his GSSP meal tickets a year he couldn’t come. I also remember him every time I think about an Obsession UC design!

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/sf-bay-tac/CAEgXk-%3DKVSqFEJ0hyA0o1Hyz0LY8HJf%3D7ptmAHiWNFQ3xRUChA%40mail.gmail.com.

[Jamie Dillon, DDK]

Crazy Ed Erbeck! One of the urTACos. The slick helical focuser on Felix was designed by Kevin Medlock and fabricated by Ed. I bought a bunch of useful items from Crazy Ed Optical. Was over to their place several times, where Ed would use thorough visuals to explain gear and techniques to a raw rookie. Got be fond of Ed and Carole.

Albert and James were best buddies of mine and always will be. Of course there are others who can well stake that same claim with both of those characters. It was at one CalStar that Steve Sergeant brought along his single malt sampling kit, portable bar and all. That night James was talking about seeing all 5 of Stephan's Quintet thru Steve's fancy big metal scope. I'd had the same peek and come up with 3. Asked Steve about it, he said, "The scotch." At that point I coined the moniker Tipsy Turley. James would cotton to being called Tips every once in a while.

[Mark Wagner]

Love that post Jamie.  My first group astronomy was in Ed's driveway, with Dean Linebarger and Rich Neuschaefer. Ed loved Olympia beer, and called our group DDAA: Drunken Driveway Amateur  Astronomers.  I don't think I was very comfortable with the name, but he hosted the get togethers.  Ed started me in ATM, so I owe him.  When he was SJAA president, he'd bring a cricket bat to the board meetings, and joked about having to use "the board of education" if problems ever arose.

What a guy!