Sunday, November 1, 2020
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Attaching two photos that Steve took some years ago in Africa - he asked me what he could give me as a "going away" gift when I moved out of Colorado and I chose my favorite and he sent me print for my wall. I tried to choose the one with the bird, since birds were such a favorite subject for his camera, but I chose the zebras at the river. And here I can share the photos for Steve's going away celebration. Notice the one zebra going against the flow....
So many "favorite" memories -- starting with Steve looking up when I walked into his office on a Monday morning in 1987 to interview for position and hearing him say "oh, you're here, lets see who is around to meet with you". Steve introducing me to colleagues in ways that boosted my career, and Steve being supportive as I'm sitting in his office in tears when (another, actually the 4th in a year) child with organic acidemia died, Steve with guitar at SIMD -- and when he first needed bifocals, when he had to hold the guitar far away in order to read the song-list taped to the back. I remember finally winning a bet against Steve (yeah, that baby really did turn out to have hyperphe). And Steve including me - and so many of us! - as part of his "extended" family and how wonderful he and Pat were together (and the annual brisket), how proud he always was of his wonderful daughters and how happy to be a grandfather. .
I will miss him!
I know that folks are collecting information about his career - I'll send along letters I wrote nominating him for the Guthrie award (he won) and in support of his appointment as Professor Emeritus that should help with some of that material.
Here is an excerpt from one of those letters that I think says a lot - this is what happened when I nominated him for in 1988 for the first-ever Faculty Council Award for Excellence (he won) at Univ Col SoM: "a theme in the letters of support written by our colleagues from around the world was that “he … does things to help people for the science, not for what’s in it for him.” Each time I requested a letter of support from a colleague, the answer was “absolutely” and each one suggested another, who also wrote in support."
