Really beautiful, Brent. ------------------------------ On Wed, Jan 15, 2014 6:22 PM MST Richard Tenney wrote:

Beautiful tribute Brent; thanks for sharing! /R

________________________________ From: Brent Watson <brentjwatson@yahoo.com> To: Utah Astronomy <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Wednesday, January 15, 2014 6:10 PM Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] John Dobson Passes Away

He will be remembered by many.  I especially will remember him from when I first met him about 1980.  He helped design my 22 inch scope.  I asked him how he ground mirrors so quickly.  His response?  "What takes you so long?  Grinding mirrors is caveman work - eat well, sleep well, and work like hell!"

He stayed at my home on several occasions, and my family visited him in San Francisco whenever we were there.  They especially remember the offer of a snack of figs, and his serenading us with his guitar.  

Once while in San Francisco on business, I visited him and took him to Jurassic Park.  He wondered if dinosaurs really could vocalize - we have no evidence one way or another.  On the way home he asked me "Is it cold in San Francisco because it is foggy, or is it foggy because it is cold?"  His mind was always working.

Once when getting ready for a telescope class, I was expecting a shipment of telescopes from the old Coulter Optical.  I called to find out why they were not shipped, and John was there.  He told the president of the company (I don't remember his name right now.) to get them shipped ASAP.  They arrived within the week.

Once at Riverside I saw him and he immediately came over to me and we talked for a bit.  Someone came up to him and he politely excused himself because he was talking to an old friend.  That made me feel good anyway.

Some of you attended a fund raiser for him I organized.  We ground, polished, and figured a 13 inch f6 mirror in my back yard - with his help.  I purchased that mirror and still have it.  He signed it with a diamond scribe.  He was not all that anxious to get the money we raised for him, and he would not take the cash.  I had to send him a check, which he later cashed - I imagine reluctantly.

He also endorsed my books early on and gave me permission to use his name and a quote in my initial advertising.

His 1990 signature in my Antonin Becvar "Atlas of the Heavens" reads: "Orbits closed and open, orbits curved and straight But why are we weightless in orbit, and what is man and weight? We move in conic sections, but why do we move at all? And once we're set in motion, why do we coast and fall?"

Rest in peace, John, my friend.  I shall miss you.

On Wednesday, January 15, 2014 5:10 PM, Joe Bauman <josephmbauman@yahoo.com> wrote:

We've lost one of the most peculiar and inventive amateur astronomers.

On Wednesday, January 15, 2014 4:54 PM, Jay Eads <jayleads@gmail.com> wrote:

John Dobson passed away today as an FYI.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Dobson_(amateur_astronomer) _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy

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