AAVSO Newsletter 29: In Memoriam

Steven Ashe Boulder, CO	Joseph Anderer Midway, AR
George Glagola Seven Hills, OH	William J. Krywos Hohokus, NJ
Lynn Matthias Milwaukee, WI	Robert Miller Union, NJ
Allen C. Montague Greensboro, NC	John Ulrich Venice, CA

Wayne Lowder

Wayne M. Lowder, of Putnam Valley, New York (observer initials “LX”), made well over 134,400 observations since 1949 (he had thousands of unsubmitted observations that he was intending and working on to have added to the AAVSO database). Even without the observations he did not send, he was in the league with Danie Overbeek, Leslie Peltier, Reginald De Kock, when it came the number of observations submitted.

As a teenager, accompanied by his father, Wayne first visited Harvard College and Oak Ridge Observatories in 1949 and there met Bart Bok. He joined the AAVSO that same year. While he was a student at Harvard University he visited the AAVSO at Harvard College Observatory often and got to know well Leon Campbell, the first Recorder/Director and later Margaret Mayall the second Director of the AAVSO.

Wayne, physicist by profession was a remarkable observer. His eyes were like a photometer with response closest to visual magnitude. He was very interested in comparison star magnitude sequences used in AAVSO charts and over the last several years, he had been engaged in researching the relationship of visual and photometric V (both with photoelectric and CCD techniques) magnitudes of comparison stars used by the AAVSO.

He served as AAVSO President from 1993 to 1995 and Treasurer from 1999 to 2001. He was the receipient of Observer Award in 1994 for making over 100,000.

He will be sorely missed as an observer, a very caring member, and a very good friend.

Casper Hossfield

Casper “Cap” Hossfield joined the AAVSO 40 years ago. He served as chair of the Solar Division from 1963 to 1979 and, as President from 19__ to 19 __, and for the last three years, had been the Editor of the Sudden Ionospheric Disturbances Supplement that is published along with the Solar Bulletin each month. In 1999, he received a Solar Observer Award for outstanding contributions and dedication to the goals of the organization. Cap was responsible for creating the designs of most of the SID receivers and antenna configurations used by observers today. Until the very end of his life, he continued to work at simplifying these designs and reducing component costs in order to attract the largest possible audience of builders.

Cap’s interests were not limited to the design of SID equipment. He also devoted much time and energy to the design of seismic sensors, gravity wave detectors, and magnetometers, and he contributed designs, authored papers, and presented talks on and demonstrations of many of these items.

Observers will remember him as a patient, resourceful, helpful, inventive, cheerful, truly unique individual who was always ready to try something technically new and who encouraged all who wanted to share in that adventure to “Come along. You’ll never know if it works if you don’t try it!”

Theodore "Ted" Wales

Theodore H. N. Wales of Westwood, Massachusetts, joined the AAVSO in 1975. In 1977, he was elected to the Council, and in 1979 he was elected as the Treasurer of the AAVSO and served in this position for 19 years, through 1998. He remained a member until his death.

Ted gave generously of his time and wisdom to the AAVSO, and he always had the best interest of the AAVSO at heart. A banker by profession, whenever there was a need in the Association, Ted always lent a hand, whether as Treasurer or Councilor, volunteer to work with data files, or worker alongside the staff to paint and stain library shelves (built by members Ed Halbach and Roy Lee) when we acquired our new Headquarters building in 1986. Ted was also a very generous contributor to the AAVSO through annual donations, many special gifts, and matching grants over the years.

Ted was very much liked by the AAVSO staff - not only did he care so much about the AAVSO and work so hard for it, but with his dry New England sense of humor, omnipresent bowtie and battered, "ancient" leather briefcase, interesting and entertaining conversation over lunch, and fundamental goodness as a person, he always brightened Headquarters with his visits.

Ted was truly a financial genius. He always guided us the best possible way financially; it is thanks to his financial expertise that the Association's funds are as healthy and well managed as they are. The AAVSO will be hard pressed to find a better friend and more devoted member. Ted will be deeply missed.